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Radiation-induced CA 125 production by mesothelial cells
P M Carpenter1, G P Gamboa, G E Dorion
1Department of Pathology, University of California, Irvine Medical Center, Orange 92868, USA.
Gynecologic Oncology
|December 1, 1996
Summary
Radiation therapy can falsely elevate cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) levels in patients. Irradiated mesothelial cells, not ovarian cancer cells, were found to secrete increased CA 125, explaining this phenomenon.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Radiation Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Elevated cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) levels can occur in endometrial cancer patients post-abdominal radiation therapy, despite being disease-free.
- Peritoneal irritation or inflammation can stimulate CA 125 production in mesothelial cells, suggesting a potential link to radiation effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether irradiated cultured mesothelial cells secrete CA 125.
- To determine if radiation exposure influences CA 125 production in mesothelial cells.
Main Methods:
- Seven mesothelial cell isolates were exposed to 500 cGy of 6-MV photon irradiation.
- CA 125 production was measured in tissue culture medium from irradiated and non-irradiated cells.
- p53 protein expression was assessed in irradiated mesothelial cells as a marker of radiation response.
Main Results:
- Irradiated mesothelial cells exhibited significantly increased CA 125 secretion, up to 32 times higher than controls.
- CA 125 levels in irradiated mesothelial cells rose rapidly by Day 3 and remained elevated for at least 6 days.
- Irradiated mesothelial cells showed increased p53 immunoreactivity, confirming a radiation-inducible protein response.
Conclusions:
- Irradiated mesothelial cells are a potential source of elevated serum CA 125 in patients who have undergone abdominal irradiation.
- The study identifies a mechanism for false-positive CA 125 elevations in cancer patients treated with abdominal radiation.