title: Mechanism and clinical significance of elevated CA 125 levels in the sera of pregnant women.
abstract: To clarify the mechanism of CA 125 elevation in maternal sera, serum levels of CA 125 and CA 19-9 were measured in 122 apparently healthy pregnant women (fifth to fortieth week of gestation) and 50 postpartum women (26 term deliveries and 24 second-trimester induced abortions). Serum levels of CA 125 showed an initial increase by the tenth week and then decreased to less than 35 U/ml, remaining below this level until delivery. However, within 1 hour after term delivery or second-trimester induced abortion, the CA 125 levels showed a second increase and decreased rapidly thereafter. In contrast, serum levels of CA 19-9 did not change significantly during these periods. Combined with our previous finding that the decidua contains abundant CA 125 but little CA 19-9, these results indicate that the elevated CA 125 levels in maternal sera originate from the decidual cells affected by chorionic invasion or the placental separation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sagawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nonogaki
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ban
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mori
mesh_terms: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000032:analysis*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate