title: Serum human epididymis protein 4 can be a useful tumor marker in the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses during pregnancy: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate serum concentrations of human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) and cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) in healthy women and their pregnant counterparts to determine the influence of pregnancy on these biomarkers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum concentrations of CA 125 and HE4 were measured in 27 healthy non-pregnant women and 26 healthy pregnant women in the first and second trimesters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher concentration of CA 125 was found in pregnants than in non-pregnant women (p = 0.002). There was no difference in CA 125 concentrations between first and second trimesters (p = 0.13). Serum HE4 concentration was not different in pregnant group compared to non-pregnant women (p = 0.510). Likewise, no difference was found in HE4 levels between the trimesters (p = 0.485). There was a positive correlation between increasing parity and CA 125 (p = 0.023), but not HE4 (p = 1.0).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HE4 serum biomarker is unaffected by pregnancy status and may be useful for evaluation of doubtful pelvic masses in pregnancy. Contrarily, increased serum levels of CA 125 could yield increased number of false-positive results.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gucer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kiran
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Canaz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kilinc
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Ekerbicer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Avci
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kiran
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coskun
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Arikan
mesh_terms: D000290:Adnexa Uteri; D000291:Adnexal Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D000081102:WAP Four-Disulfide Core Domain Protein 2
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D011506:Proteins; D000081102:WAP Four-Disulfide Core Domain Protein 2; C569698:WFDC2 protein, human