title: Expression of CEA, CA-125 and SCC antigen by biological fluids associated with pregnancy.
abstract: Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen were measured in 56 full-termed pregnancies by enzyme-immunoassays (EIA-MEIA). The measurements were done in maternal serum (MS), umbilical cord blood (UCB) and amniotic fluid (AF) samples, during delivery. Very high antigen levels were found in AF samples (median: CEA = 124 ng/ml; CA-125 = 710 U/ml; SCC = 710 ng/ml) compared to UCB and MS. CEA and SCC showed significantly lower values in MS (0.6 and 1.7 ng/ml, respectively) than in UCB (1.6 ng/ml, P = 7.7 x 10(-9); 3.55 ng/ml, P = 6.5 x 10(-6), respectively), while CA-125 had significantly higher values in MS (6 U/ml) than in UCB (0.0 U/ml, P = 17 x 10(-6); Wilcoxon paired test). All CEA values in MS were below cut-off (less than or equal to 5 ng/ml), while 10% of CA-125 and 30% of SCC values were above cut-off (less than or equal to 35 U/ml and less than or equal to 2.5 ng/ml, respectively). Amniotic fluid CEA with meconium had higher values (P = 0.0002), while the highest CA-125 values in AF samples were found in primiparae (P = 0.02). Moreover SCC in AF samples from vaginal delivered pregnancies showed significantly higher values, compared to those from cesarean section (P = 4.2 x 10(-7); Mann-Whitney U-test). Thus, our findings suggest that pregnancy has an influence on maternal serum SCC and CA-125 values, while CEA is independent of gestation and seems to conserve its diagnostic value during pregnancy as well.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Areteion Hospital, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarandakou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kontoravdis
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kontogeorgi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rizos
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Phocas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000276:immunology*; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology*; D015843:Serpins
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D015843:Serpins; C051072:squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen