AIM: To determine the serum levels of c-reactive protein (CRP), transferrin (TRF), a2-macroglobulin (A2M),ceruloplasmin (CER), a1-acid glycoprotein (AAG), prealbumin (P-ALB) and retinol-binding protein (RBP) in gastric carcinoma patients and to explore their possible correlation with underlying Helicobacter pylori (H pylon)infection.METHODS: We measured the serum levels of CRP, TRF,A2M, CER, AAG, P-ALB, and RBP in 153 preoperative patients (93 males; mean age: 63.1±11.3 years) with non-cardia gastric adenocarcinoma and 19 healthy subjects.RESULTS: The levels of CRP, CER, RBP, andAAG in cancer patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (P＜0.0001), while no difference was found regarding the TRF, P-ALB, and A2M levels. Cancer patients with H pylori infection had significantly lower RBP values compared to non-infected ones (P＜0.0001)and also higher values of CRP and AAG (P = 0.09 and P = 0.08, respectively).CONCLUSION: High serum levels of CRP, CER and AAG in cancer patients do not seem to be related to H pylori infection. Retinol-binding protein seems to discriminate between infected and non-infected patients with gastric carcinoma. Further studies are needed to explore if it is directly involved in the pathogenesis of the disease or is merely an epiphenomenon.
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