Ochi Shinichiro, Shimizu Hideaki, Ueno Shu-ichi
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan.
Int J Eat Disord. 2016 Apr;49(4):428-31. doi: 10.1002/eat.22474. Epub 2016 Mar 25.
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex psychiatric disorder, which is not yet fully understood. Several studies reported that AN was associated with disruption of cytokine network. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a glycoprotein related to its network, used as a tumor marker of adenocarcinoma, and suggested to stimulate monocytes and macrophages to release proinflammatory cytokines. Here, we report a 41-year-old male suffering from AN who was suspected of having a malignant tumor due to markedly elevated serum CEA levels. However, on further examinations, he was discovered to have no malignant tumors, and, interestingly, his CEA levels actually decreased as his clinical state of AN improved. Furthermore, it was found that his CEA levels were elevated proportionally to his clinical state of AN and that his body mass index was significantly correlated with serum CEA levels. Therefore, it is suggested that inflammatory responses may be associated with the clinical state of AN.
神经性厌食症（AN）是一种复杂的精神疾病，目前尚未完全了解。多项研究报告称，AN与细胞因子网络紊乱有关。癌胚抗原（CEA）是一种与其网络相关的糖蛋白，用作腺癌的肿瘤标志物，并被认为可刺激单核细胞和巨噬细胞释放促炎细胞因子。在此，我们报告一名41岁患有AN的男性，因其血清CEA水平显著升高而被怀疑患有恶性肿瘤。然而，进一步检查发现他没有恶性肿瘤，有趣的是，随着他AN的临床状态改善，他的CEA水平实际上下降了。此外，发现他的CEA水平与他的AN临床状态成比例升高，并且他的体重指数与血清CEA水平显著相关。因此，提示炎症反应可能与AN的临床状态有关。
