title: Evaluation of factors that may be responsible for cyclic change of CA125 levels during menstrual cycle.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the factors responsible for fluctuation of CA125 levels during menstrual cycle
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed with patients who had undergone hysterectomy for benign gynecological disease (group I, n = 30) and patients who had undergone laparoscopy for tubal ligation (group II, n = 30) or for investigation of pelvic cause of infertility (group III, n = 24) and showed normal laparoscopic findings. In groups II and III, blood samplings for serum CA125 determination were performed in menstrual and no-menstrual period. In group I, sampling times were determined by using estrogen and progesterone levels. Mean serum CA125 concentrations were compared using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for multiple group comparisons and paired t test for within-group comparisons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intra-individual serum CA125 concentrations of group I was not significantly different (P > 0.05). In group II, mean menstrual CA125 concentration was on average 18.2% higher than that of non-menstrual concentration (P < 0.001). Group III showed a similar pattern to that of group II, with a difference of 22% (P < 0.001). Mean CA125 concentration of group I in both menstrual and non-menstrual period was lower than those of groups II and III (P < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference between groups II and III when compared with the corresponding menstrual and non-menstrual CA125 concentrations (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endometrium is responsible for the cyclic changes in serum CA125 concentration during menstrual cycle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Harran University, 63100 Sanliurfa, Turkey. hasankafali@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kafali
authors.forename: Hulya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Artunc
authors.forename: Meral
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Erdem
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D013246:Sterilization, Tubal
chemical_list: D018394:CA-125 Antigen