Background : The present study was conducted to determine the clinical differences of prealbumin compared with cholecystitis and biliary pancreas malignancies and to investigate the clinical impact of low prealbumin in biliary pancreas malignancies.

Methods : From June 2021 to September 2021, 61 patients who underwent surgery for various biliary pancreas diseases including benign and malignancy who were checked for prealbumin before surgery were enrolled. Clinicopathological data were retrospectively investigated for the differences of prealbumin in each disease.

Results : In malignant disease, there were many eldely patients with poor ASA scores. In addition, albumin and prealbumin were significantly lower, and systemic immune inflammation index (CRP, PNR, NLR) was higher. The low prealbumin group was older and had poor ASA scores. In the low prealbumin group, nutritional status including BMI, hemoglobin and albumin were significantly lower, and inflammatory status including CRP, NLR and PLR were higher. In malignant diseases, the low prealbumin group had significantly lower BMI and hemoglobin and a tendency to more advanced disease (lymph node and distant metastasis). Prealbumion as a screening test was lower than CA19-9 or CEA (prealbumin AUC 0.693, p > 0.05).

Conclusions : Prealbumin was observed to be lower in malignant disease, which seems to be related to poor nutritional status and systemic immune inflammation. In malignant disease, low prealbumin has a higher possibility of more advanced disease, so attention should be paid to it.