Article

Use of CA125 fluctuation during the menstrual cycle as a tool in the clinical diagnosis of endometriosis; a preliminary report.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Harran University, 63100 Sanliurfa, Turkey.
European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology (impact factor: 1.97). 10/2004; 116(1):85-8. DOI:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2004.02.039
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT To elucidate whether endometriosis can be diagnosed clinically by assessing the differences between serum CA125 levels during menstruation and during the rest of the menstrual cycle.
The study was performed in 28 patients who underwent laparoscopy to check for pelvic causes of infertility. Patients with endometriosis were selected as the study group, and patients with normal laparoscopic findings functioned as the control group. Blood specimens were taken for CA125 determination during menstruation and during the rest of the menstrual cycle. Mean serum CA125 concentrations were compared by the two-sample t-test for between-group comparisons and the paired t-test for within-group comparisons. The receiver operating characteristic curve was applied to assess the usefulness of CA125 level changes during the menstrual cycle in the clinical diagnosis of endometriosis.
The mean CA125 concentrations of healthy women during menstruation and during the rest of the menstrual cycle were 12.2 and 10 U ml(-1), respectively. In this group, the mean CA125 concentration was an average of 22% higher during menstruation than during the rest of the menstrual cycle (P < 0.001). The patients with endometriosis showed a similar pattern to that of normal women, but the levels differed by 198.3% in these patients (P < 0.001). Mean CA125 concentrations of these patients during menstruation and in the rest of the cycle were 35.8 and 12 U ml(-1), respectively. The mean CA125 concentration during menstruation was significantly higher in patients with endometriosis than in normal women (P < 0.001), but CA125 concentrations at other points in the menstrual cycle were found to be similar in both groups (P > 0.05). ROC curve analyses set a cutoff of 83% (percentage increment of CA125 level during menstruation compared with that on days without menstrual bleeding), which gives a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 92%, with a corresponding likelihood ratio of 11.3.
It may be possible to diagnose endometriosis clinically by assessment of the differences in CA125 level during menstruation as against the remainder of the menstrual cycle.

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    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Ovarian cancer is particularly insidious in nature. Its ability to go undetected until late stages coupled with its non-descript signs and symptoms make it the seventh leading cause of cancer related deaths in women. Additionally, the lack of sensitive diagnostic tools and resistance to widely accepted chemotherapy regimens make ovarian cancer devastating to patients and families and frustrating to medical practitioners and researchers. Here, we provide an in-depth review of the theories describing the origin of ovarian cancer, molecular factors that influence its growth and development, and standard methods for detection and treatment. Special emphasis is focused on interactions between ovarian tumors and the innate and adaptive immune system and attempts that are currently underway to devise novel immunotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of ovarian tumors.
    Journal of Ovarian Research 03/2010; 3:8. · 2.57 Impact Factor
Data provided are for informational purposes only. Although carefully collected, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The impact factor represents a rough estimation of the journal's impact factor and does not reflect the actual current impact factor. Publisher conditions are provided by RoMEO. Differing provisions from the publisher's actual policy or licence agreement may be applicable.

Keywords

28 patients
 
between-group comparisons
 
Blood specimens
 
CA125 concentrations
 
CA125 determination
 
CA125 level changes
 
characteristic curve
 
corresponding likelihood ratio
 
diagnose endometriosis clinically
 
healthy women
 
mean CA125 concentration
 
mean CA125 concentrations
 
Mean serum CA125 concentrations
 
normal laparoscopic findings functioned
 
normal women
 
paired t-test
 
percentage increment
 
serum CA125 levels
 
two-sample t-test
 
within-group comparisons
 

Hasan Kafali