Study on the expression characteristics of CA125 in patients with SLE and its correlation with clinical indicators

This study investigates the role of carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and analyzes factors associated with its elevation. A total of 220 patients diagnosed with SLE at the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of our institution between January 2021 and January 2025 were enrolled. Among them, 63 patients with positive CA125 were assigned to the observation group, and 157 with negative CA125 served as the control group. Demographic data, clinical manifestations, and laboratory parameters were collected. Univariate and binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with CA125 positivity and to evaluate correlations between CA125 levels and clinical indicators. Logistic regression revealed that hypoproteinemia (odds ratio [OR] = 3.796, P = .034), serous cavity effusion (OR = 3.169, P = .045), albumin (ALB; OR = 1.121, P = .01), complement 3 (C3; OR = 1.568, P = .048), 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3; OR = 1.267, P = .013), SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI; OR = 0.764, P = .019), and interleukin-6 (IL-6; OR = 0.960, P = .009) were associated with elevated CA125. Regression analysis showed that CA125 was negatively correlated with 25(OH)D3 and ALB, and positively correlated with SLEDAI and IL-6. Hypoproteinemia and serous cavity effusion were independent predictors of elevated CA125 in SLE patients. These findings suggest that CA125 may serve as a potential serological marker reflecting disease activity and systemic inflammation in SLE, offering supportive value for clinical assessment and management.