Lipoprotein(a) and CA125 levels in the plasma of patients with benign and malignant ovarian disease

Abstract

Elevated plasma levels of apolipoprotein (a) have been reported earlier in cancer patients. In order to investigate the potential of apolipoprotein(a) as an ovarian tumour marker, plasma apolipoprotein(a) and CA125 levels were measured in healthy women and women with benign or malignant pelvic masses. Among women younger than 49 years, 80% of healthy controls and ovarian cancer patients had apolipoprotein(a) levels below 350 U/l. Among women aged 49 years or older, 46% of healthy controls but 73% of ovarian cancer patients and 77% of women with successfully treated ovarian cancer, had low apolipoprotein(a) levels. For both age groups, apolipoprotein(a) is not a suitable marker for ovarian cancer. No correlation was found between apolipoprotein(a), triglyceride or cholesterol in plasma. Healthy women younger than 49 years had significantly higher CA125 levels than women 49 years or older (20 +/- 14 U/ml vs. 13 +/- 12 U/ml, p less than 0.005). Levels of CA125 above 35 U/ml were found in 12% of the younger and 4% of the older healthy women, 73% of the younger and 61% of the older patients with untreated or residual tumours, and in 33% of the younger and 31% of older patients with no evidence of disease, as well as in 58% of women of both age groups with benign pelvic masses. The sensitivity and specificity of CA125 levels for the detection of cancer were 73% and 74% respectively for women younger than 49 years, and 62% and 78% respectively for women 49 years or older.