Serum CA-125 concentration in endometriosis patients: role of pelvic and peritoneal irritation

G. G. Garzetti, Garzetti GG, A Ciavattini, Andrea Ciavattini, Tranquilli AL, A L Tranquilli, Andrea Luigi Tranquilli, D. Arduini, Domenico Arduini, Arduini D, C Romanini, Carlo Romaninï, Romanini C
Gynecological endocrinology : the official journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology · 1994 · vol. 8(1) , pp. 27–31 · doi:10.3109/09513599409028454 · PMID:8059614 · W2153862555
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Serum CA-125 levels are significantly elevated in endometriosis patients, correlating with disease severity, adhesion scores, and peritoneal involvement.

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Abstract

Serum CA-125 concentrations were investigated preoperatively in 91 consecutive women undergoing laparoscopy for infertility, pelvic pain and/or annexial cysts. The presence and extent of endometriosis were carefully assessed, including the American Fertility Society stage of disease, and implant and adhesion scores. Postoperative CA-125 measurements were obtained in 32 of 53 endometriosis patients and evaluated with respect to clinical evolution of the disease. Serum levels of CA-125 were significantly increased in patients with endometriosis (46.5 +/- 39.5 vs. 13.5 +/- 7.3 U/ml in controls, p < 0.001) and correlated with the severity of disease. A positive correlation (r = 0.7, p < 0.001) was observed between adhesion score and CA-125 levels, while the relationship with implant score was not significant (r = 0.3, p = 0.07). CA-125 level was also significantly increased in women with peritoneal endometriosis (70.7 +/- 47.3 vs. 33.5 +/- 25.6 U/ml for those with ovarian endometriosis), and in these patients the post-operative CA-125 level was significantly related to the clinical evolution of the disease, being higher in patients whose disease recurred compared to those with negative follow-up, irrespective of the adhesion score. We conclude that in endometriosis patients, serum CA-125 level is directly related to the adhesion score and peritoneal involvement, suggesting a central role of pelvic and peritoneal irritation in the increased level of this serum marker.

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Condition tags

endometriosischronic_pelvic_paininfertility

MeSH descriptors

Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate Endometriosis Pelvic Pain Peritonitis Adolescent Adolescent Adult Adult Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate Biomarkers Biomarkers Biomarkers Embryo Implantation Embryo Implantation Embryo Implantation Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Female

Citation neighborhood (2-hop)

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. Outer rings show 2-hop neighbours — papers reached through the immediate citers/citees. [ collapse to 1-hop ]

References (14)

Cited by (7)

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