CA19-9 is a tumor-associated antigen. It is also a marker of pancreatic tissue damage that might be caused by diabetes. Long-term poor glycemic control may lead to pancreatic beta cell dysfunction which is reflected by elevated serum CA19-9 level. Intracellular cholesterol accumulation leads to islet dysfunction and impaired insulin secretion which provide a new lipotoxic model. This study firstly found total cholesterol was one of the independent contributors to CA19-9. Elevated serum CA19-9 level in diabetic patients may indicate further investigations of glycemic control, pancreatic beta cell function, and total cholesterol level.
Pancreatic beta cell function in lean and obese Japanese with various degrees of glucose tolerance
