title: Serum carbohydrate antigen 125 concentration as a superior predictor for serosal effusion at diagnosis and a prognostic factor in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA-125) is one of the most common used tumor biomarkers in clinical practice. Previous studies showed an association of increased CA-125 levels with advanced characteristics and inferior outcome in non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify the clinical significance of CA-125 in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed 181 patients with DLBCL with measured serum CA-125 concentration at diagnosis and follow-ups during the courses. Clinical significance of CA-125 was evaluated by assessing the association between CA-125 levels and clinical characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CA-125 levels on admission were positively correlated with serum lactate dehydrogenase, β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), serum ferritin (SF) and cavity effusion, while negatively correlated with serum albumen (ALB). During the courses, CA-125 levels were positively correlated with β 2-MG, SF and effusion, and negatively correlated with ALB. A better correlation between effusion and CA-125 levels was observed. Using a cut-off value > 50.39 U/ml gave a sensitivity of 73.8% and a specificity of 92.1% for the indication of effusion at diagnosis, while during the courses the sensitivity was much lower. On the prognostic role of CA-125, we found prognostic relevance on progression-free survival (PFS) but not on overall survival (OS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study revealed limited usefulness of CA-125 concentration at diagnosis and follow-ups in DLBCL.
authors.forename: Jia-Zhu
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Tian
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jin-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xiao-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Jian-Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D054685:Lymphoma, Primary Effusion / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018394:CA-125 Antigen
keywords: CA-125; diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; prognosis; serosal effusion