The Association of Carbohydrate Antigen (CA) 19-9 Levels and Low Skeletal Muscle Mass in Healthy Adults
2023
Jae Hyun Lee | Dong-Kun Kim | Mi-Yeon Lee | Han-Sol Lim | Min-Jung Kwon | Yong-Taek Lee | Kyung Jae Yoon | Chul-Hyun Park
Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) is a commonly used tumor marker for pancreatic cancer. However, CA 19-9 can be overexpressed in several benign inflammatory diseases. We investigated the relationship between high CA 19-9 level and low muscle mass (LMM) in healthy adults without cancer. Participants who underwent evaluation of muscle mass and CA 19-9 were included. Exclusion criteria were any malignancy, cardiovascular disease, tuberculosis, and chronic lung/liver disease. Participants were classified into &ldquo:normal&rdquo:, &ldquo:mild LMM&rdquo:, and &ldquo:severe LMM&rdquo: groups based on the skeletal muscle mass index. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the association of high CA 19-9 with muscle mass status. A total of 263,061 adults were included. The mean age and SMI were 41.03 years and 7.13 kg/m2. After adjustments for various confounders, high CA 19-9 was independently associated with mild LMM (adjusted odds ratio, 1.677 [95% confidence interval, 1.533&ndash:1.834]) and severe LMM (2.651 [2.126&ndash:3.306]) compared to the normal group. Furthermore, the association between high CA 19-9 and severe LMM was stronger in men than in women. Elevated CA 19-9 levels were independently associated with a higher prevalence of LMM in healthy adults without cancer. Therefore, increased CA 19-9 could be utilized as a novel biomarker for sarcopenia.
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