Correlation between peripheral CA-125 levels and ovarian activity

Serum CA-125 concentrations were measured at three different times in normal cycles, pill-suppressed cycles, and cycles stimulated for intrauterine insemination (IUI) or oocyte retrieval, i.e., (1) during the first half of the cycle, (2) at midcycle or at the moment of oocyte retrieval, and (3) the second half of the cycle. Significant variations of serum CA-125 concentrations were not seen during the cycle in normally cycling women or in women taking oral contraceptives: mean +/- SD 28.9 +/- 13.3 U/mL and 26.9 +/- 11.3 U/mL, respectively. In patients stimulated for in vitro fertilization, luteal phase CA-125 levels (60.6 +/- 38 U/mL) were significantly higher than during stimulation (21.5 +/- 5.9 U/mL) or at oocyte retrieval (19.6 +/- 6.4 U/mL). In stimulated cycles for IUI, without laparoscopy or follicular puncture, a comparable rise of CA-125 was observed in the luteal phase (49.6 +/- 37.8 U/mL). However, in patients undergoing laparoscopic sterilization, serum CA-125 concentrations before and after laparoscopy were not significantly different (22.8 +/- 6.3 U/mL and 25 +/- 4.2 U/mL, respectively).