title: Increased serum cancer antigen-125 is a marker for severity of deep endometriosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether cancer antigen-125 (CA-125) levels are increased in women with endometriosis, especially in those with endometriomas (OMAs), deep infiltrating lesions (DIE), and superficial endometriosis (SUP) compared with controls without endometriosis in a large cohort of operated women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary-care university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred six women with histologically proven endometriosis and 279 women without endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surgical examination of the abdomino-pelvic cavity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preoperative serum CA-125 antigen levels were evaluated by electrochemoluminescence immunoassay in women with endometriosis and controls. Correlations between serum CA-125 levels and clinical and anatomical characteristics of disease severity were examined. Women with endometriosis displayed higher mean serum CA-125 levels compared with disease-free controls (50.1 ± 62.4 U/mL vs 22.5 ± 25.2 U/mL; p ≤ .001). CA-125 levels were significantly increased in women with OMA (60.8 ± 63.5 U/mL) and DIE (55.2 ± 68.7 U/mL) compared with women with SUP (23.2 ± 24.5 U/mL) and controls (22.5 ± 25.2 U/mL). There was no difference in CA-125 levels between patients with SUP and controls and between patients with OMA and DIE. CA-125 serum levels were correlated with DIE severity: the mean number of DIE lesions and worst DIE lesion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum CA-125 levels were significantly increased in women with severe forms of endometriosis, OMA, and DIE lesions. In addition, elevated serum Ca-125 levels were associated with more severe and extended DIE lesions. In women with superficial peritoneal lesions, CA-125 levels were not different from women without endometriosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology Obstetrics II and Reproductive Medicine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, AP- HP, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France; Laboratoire d'immunologie, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, AP- HP, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Inserm, Unité de recherche U1016, Paris, France; Institut Cochin, CNRS - UMR 8104, Paris, France. Electronic address: pietro.santulli@cch.aphp.fr.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Santulli
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology Obstetrics II and Reproductive Medicine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, AP- HP, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France; Laboratoire d'immunologie, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, AP- HP, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France; Unit for Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecological Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Geneva University Hospitals and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Streuli
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology Obstetrics II and Reproductive Medicine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, AP- HP, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Melonio
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology Obstetrics II and Reproductive Medicine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, AP- HP, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Inserm, Unité de recherche U1016, Paris, France; Institut Cochin, CNRS - UMR 8104, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marcellin
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology Obstetrics II and Reproductive Medicine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, AP- HP, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Magate
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: M'Baye
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology Obstetrics II and Reproductive Medicine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, AP- HP, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Amine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bititi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology Obstetrics II and Reproductive Medicine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, AP- HP, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Inserm, Unité de recherche U1016, Paris, France; Institut Cochin, CNRS - UMR 8104, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Borghese
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology Obstetrics II and Reproductive Medicine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, AP- HP, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Marie-Christine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lafay Pillet
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology Obstetrics II and Reproductive Medicine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, AP- HP, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Inserm, Unité de recherche U1016, Paris, France; Institut Cochin, CNRS - UMR 8104, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chapron
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000473:pathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018394:CA-125 Antigen
keywords: Ca-125; Deep infiltrating endometriosis; Endometrioma; Endometriosis