[Clinical significance of serum CA 125 in patients with chronic liver diseases].
OBJECTIVE
The clinical significance of serum CA 125 levels in patients with chronic liver disease has not been widely appreciated in relation to the severity of the disease. We examined serum CA 125 levels in patients with chronic liver disease according to the severity of liver disease and the presence of ascites.


METHODS
Fasting serum CA 125 levels were measured by a commercial RIA kit in 92 patients with chronic liver disease: 22 with chronic hepatitis and 70 with liver cirrhosis (Child class A, 19; B, 28; C, 23). Forty-one patients (45%) had ascites.


RESULTS
The patients with Child class C liver cirrhosis had significantly higher mean serum CA 125 level than those with class A (p<0.05). In Child class B patients, the mean serum CA 125 level was significantly higher in patients with ascites than in those without (p<0.05). A multiple regression analysis showed that the presence of ascites, serum albumin, and prothrombin time were independent factors related to the increase of serum CA 125 levels.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of ascites is more closely related to the increase of CA125 levels in patients with liver cirrhosis than the severity of liver disease.
Kim
Young Shin
YS
Department of Internal Medicine, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Tongdaemun Hospital, 70 Jongro 6-ga, Jongro-gu, Seoul 110-783, Korea. kimdy@ewha.ac.kr
Kim
Doe-Young
DY
Ryu
Kum Hei
KH
Song
Ji Hyun
JH
Kim
Myung Shin
MS
Jung
Hae Sun
HS
Park
Ji Young
JY
Jung
Hye-Kyung
HK
Yoo
Kwon
K
Moon
Il Hwan
IH
Baek
Jin Young
JY
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001201:Ascites / Q000097:blood; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D018394:CA-125 Antigen