Increased serum cancer antigen-125 is a marker for severity of deep endometriosis.

Abstract

STUDY 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.

DESIGN:

Cross-sectional study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).

SETTING:

Tertiary-care university hospital.

PATIENTS:

Four hundred six women with histologically proven endometriosis and 279 women without endometriosis.

INTERVENTIONS:

Surgical examination of the abdomino-pelvic cavity.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN 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.

CONCLUSION:

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: Pietro Santulli, Isabelle Streuli, Isabelle Melonio, Louis Marcellin, Magate M'Baye, Amine Bititi, Bruno Borghese, Marie-Christine Lafay Pillet, Charles Chapron
• Journal: Journal of minimally invasive gynecology (J Minim Invasive Gynecol) Vol. 22 Issue 2 Pg. 275-84 (Feb 2015) ISSN: 1553-4669 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25446542 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2015 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Biomarkers
• CA-125 Antigen

Topics

• Adult
• Biomarkers (blood)
• CA-125 Antigen (blood)
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Endometriosis (blood, pathology, surgery)
• Female
• France
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Peritoneum (pathology)
• Severity of Illness Index
• Young Adult