title: Elevated serum concentrations of CA-125 in patients with advanced endometriosis.
abstract: 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.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Barbieri
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Niloff
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Bast
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scaetzl
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Kistner
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Knapp
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate