Value of Serum and Biliary Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) as a Diagnostic Marker for Cholangiocarcinoma, AYMAN Y. ABD EL-REHIM, EMAN M. HASSAN, MOHAMMED S. ABD EL-BARY, HANAN H. FOUAD, DINA O. HELMY, HESHAM M. EL-MAKHZANGY and AHMED A. MOHAMMED
Abstract
Objective: Measurement of NGAL in bile and serum of patients with extrahepatic biliary strictures and its evaluation as a diagnostic marker in differentiating the malignant from the benign strictures, as compared to brush cytology and its correlation with laboratory variables and the stage of the disease after 6 months of follow-up after diagnosis.
Methods: The study is a cross sectional study including 60 patients presented to Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) unit with extrahepatic biliary ob-struction. Brush cytology was taken from the site of stricture, bile and serum samples were collected for measurement of NGAL, according to the results of brush cytology, patients were grouped as follows: Group A including 29 patients with malignant extrahepatic strictures, Group B 27 patients with benign extrahepatic strictures (as 4 patients were excluded due to unsatisfactory cytology sample).
Results: Results showed significantly higher levels of serum and bile NGAL in the malignant group compared to the benign group (p-value <0.001) with the sensitivity of serum and bile NGAL is 96%, the specificity of serum NGAL was 78% and the specificity of bile NGAL was 89%.
Conclusion: Biliary and serum NGAL is a useful reliable diagnostic test in differentiating extrahepatic CCA from benign biliary obstruction.