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Updated: May 1, 2026
Quantitation of Intra-peritoneal Ovarian Cancer Metastasis
Published on: July 18, 2016
Stability of HE4 and CA125 in blood samples from patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer
Noreen Sandhu1, Mona A Karlsen, Claus Høgdall
1Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Immunology & Genetics, Statens Serum Institut , Copenhagen , Denmark.
Objective:
To investigate the influence of handling and storage on HE4 and CA125 serum and EDTA plasma levels to clarify any important consequences for a clinical setting.
Methods:
Blood samples from 13 ovarian cancer (OC) patients were collected and allowed to clot or sediment for up to 72 hours at 4 °C or 20 °C, then processed into serum and EDTA plasma. Furthermore, the effects of up to eight repetitive cycles of freeze/thaw were investigated. HE4 and CA125 were analyzed using a Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay on the Architect i2000sr System.
Results:
No significant effect of processing time for HE4 could be shown. HE4 EDTA plasma levels were insignificantly lower (3%) than serum levels (p = 0.41). Similarly, no significant effect of processing time for CA125 could be demonstrated. CA125 levels at 4 °C were significantly reduced compared to levels at 20 °C (p = 0.024). No significant difference between CA125 serum and plasma levels were found (p = 0.46). Serum and EDTA plasma samples were stable during the eight cycles of freezing and thawing (CA125: all p > 0.2; HE4: all p > 0.5).
Conclusion:
No systematic difference could be demonstrated for HE4. CA125 is not dependent on processing time, EDTA plasma or serum. Levels of CA125 are significantly reduced at 4 °C compared to levels at 20°C, but this difference was less than 6% and is not considered clinically relevant.
