Cancer antigen 125 levels in inflammatory bowel diseases.
BACKGROUND
Cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) is a tumor marker used for the diagnosis and monitoring of ovarian carcinoma. It can also be elevated in endometriosis, inflammations, and in nongynecological malignancies. Up to date, serum CA-125 levels in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have not been studied before.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the levels of CA-125 in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD).


METHODS
Serum levels of CA-125 were investigated in 68 cases with UC (male/female: 47/21), 32 CD (male/female: 21/11), and 31 healthy controls (male/female: 16/15). Levels of CA-125 were also compared among UC patients according to lesion location, severity, and activity of CD.


RESULTS
Serum CA-125 levels were 17.29+/-24.50 U/ml, 15.56+/-20.74 U/ml, and 8.85+/-2.62 U/ml in patients with UC, CD, and healthy controls, respectively. Serum CA-125 levels were significantly higher in UC compared to control group (P=0.001). Serum CA-125 levels were higher in CD patients compared to control group but there was no significance (P=0.087). Serum CA-125 levels were higher in pancolitis compared to distal type and left-sided UC.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that serum CA-125 levels may be increased in patients with IBDs.
Ataseven
Hilmi
H
Department of Gastroenterology, Erzurum Bölge Egitim ve Araştirma Hastanesi, Erzurum, Turkey.
Oztürk
Zeynel Abidin
ZA
Arhan
Mehmet
M
Yüksel
Osman
O
Köklü
Seyfettin
S
Ibiş
Mehmet
M
Başar
Omer
O
Yilmaz
Fatma Meriç
FM
Yüksel
Ilhami
I
D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018394:CA-125 Antigen