Serum levels of CA15-3, KL-6 and BCA225 are positively correlated with each other in the general population.
BACKGROUND
Carbohydrate antigen 15-3 (CA15-3), Kerbs von den Lungen (KL-6) and breast cancer antigen 225 (BCA225) are widely used tumor markers for breast and lung cancer respectively.


METHODS
We analyzed 460 Japanese volunteers for 99 items on blood examination including 27 serum tumor markers. Correlations between 27 tumor markers and the other items were statistically analyzed.


RESULTS
Positive correlations were identified between CA15-3 vs. KL-6, CA15-3 vs. BCA225, and KL-6 vs. BCA225, with correlation coefficients of 0.84, 0.86, and 0.79, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report to show a positive correlation among these markers in the general population. All of these are recognized as belonging to the mucin family, and this might be the reason for the positive correlation.
International Research and Educational Institute for Integrated Medical Sciences, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan.
Gyokuto
G
Ri
Satoshi
S
Ohno
Toshiyuki
T
Yamamoto
Emina
E
Ito
Michiko
M
Furutani
Yoshiyuki
Y
Furutani
Yoshiaki
Y
Umeda
Tetsuo
T
Tsukahara
Norihiro
N
Hagita
Rumiko
R
Matsuoka
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values
C060363:BCA 225 protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006023:Glycoproteins; C060192:MUC1 protein, human; D018396:Mucin-1