title: Positive correlation between serum and peritoneal fluid CA-125 levels in women with pelvic endometriosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  One of the diagnostic markers of endometriosis is CA-125, and elevated levels of this are caused by high concentrations in the ectopic endometrium. The objective of this study was to correlate CA-125 levels in serum and peritoneal fluid from women with and without pelvic endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective, cross-sectional, controlled study of consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopy for infertility, pelvic pain or tubal ligation, during early follicular phase, at the university hospital of Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two patients were divided into two groups: endometriosis group, consisting of 35 patients with biopsy-confirmed pelvic endometriosis, and control group, consisting of 17 patients without endometriosis. CA-125 levels in serum samples and peritoneal fluid were determined by chemiluminescence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CA-125 levels in serum and peritoneal fluid were higher in patients with advanced pelvic endometriosis (means of 39.1 +/- 45.8 U/ml versus 10.5 +/- 5.9 U/ml in serum, p < 0.005; 1,469.4 +/- 1,350.4 U/ml versus 888.7 +/- 784.3 U/ml in peritoneal fluid, p < 0.05), and showed a positive correlation between each other (correlation coefficient (r) = 0.4880). Women with more advanced degrees of endometriosis showed higher CA-125 levels in both serum and peritoneal fluid (p = 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a positive correlation between serum and peritoneal fluid values of CA-125 in women with and without endometriosis, and their levels are higher in peritoneal fluid. Advanced endometriosis is related to higher levels in both serum and peritoneal fluid.
authors.affiliation: Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vivian Ferreira do
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.forename: Rui Alberto
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ferriani
authors.forename: Marcos Felipe Silva de
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Sá
authors.forename: Antonio Alberto
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Julio César
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rosa e Silva
authors.forename: Ana Carolina Japur de Sá
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Rosa e Silva
authors.forename: Marcos Dias de
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Moura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018394:CA-125 Antigen