Maternal serum CA-125 level is elevated in severe preeclampsia

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between serum concentrations of cancer antigen-125 (CA-125) and pre-eclampsia severity.

We evaluated 91 females with a singleton pregnancy. Serum CA-125 levels were measured in subjects with severe pre-eclampsia (n=34) and those with mild pre-eclampsia (n=24). Females with healthy pregnancies (n=31) served as the control group. The three study groups were statistically similar in terms of maternal age, gestational age, and body mass index.

The CA-125 level was significantly higher in the severe pre-eclampsia group than that in the mild pre-eclampsia and control groups (p<0.05). No significant difference in CA-125 levels between the mild pre-eclampsia and control groups was observed. CA-125 level was positively correlated with proteinuria (r=0.489, p=0.000), systolic blood pressure (r=0.503, p=0.018), and diastolic blood pressure (r=0.532, p=0.000). In contrast, CA-125 was negatively correlated with birth weight (r=0.266, p=0.012) and gestational age at birth (r=0.250, p=0.018).

CA-125 level increased in severe pre-eclampsia, which reflected abnormal trophoblastic invasion and chronic inflammation. Elevated levels of CA-125 in pre-eclamptic patients may be a marker of the disease severity.