Elevated serum concentrations of CA-125 in patients with advanced endometriosis.
CA-125 is a high-molecular-weight glycoprotein that is expressed on the cell surface of some derivatives of embryonic coelomic epithelium. Based on results of an immunoradiometric assay developed to detect CA-125 in peripheral blood, 82% of patients with ovarian cancer and less than 1% of apparently healthy controls have elevated peripheral blood levels of CA-125. Because endometriotic lesions are likely to be derivatives of embryonic coelomic epithelium, the authors investigated serum CA-125 levels in patients with endometriosis. Preoperative serum CA-125 concentrations were measured in 147 patients undergoing diagnostic laparoscopy or laparotomy. Serum CA-125 concentrations were elevated in patients with stage III or IV endometriosis, compared with controls with negative diagnostic laparoscopies (66.5 +/- 14.5 versus 8.20 +/- 0.59 U/ml, mean +/- standard error of the mean; P less than 0.001). Fifty-four percent of patients with stage III or IV endometriosis and 0% of the controls had CA-125 levels greater than 35 U/ml. Occasional patients with stage II endometriosis (13%), leiomyomata uteri (14%), and chronic pelvic inflammatory disease (5%) also had serum CA-125 concentrations greater than 35 U/ml. Immunocytochemical techniques demonstrated the presence of CA-125 on the cell surface of endometriotic lesions.
Barbieri
R L
RL
Niloff
J M
JM
Bast
R C
RC
Scaetzl
E
E
Kistner
R W
RW
Knapp
R C
RC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D000292:Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / Q000276:immunology; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate