Reply: Letter to the Editor by Zorli et al.

Abstract

The letter by Zorli et al. highlights that right heart failure may be an independent cause of CA125 elevation. The topic of CA125 as a marker of congestive heart failure is very interesting and I am glad the authors found my article enjoyable. As elevations of CA125 are not solely limited to specific causes of heart failure I had only included references (originally numbered 52 and 53) that indirectly related to right heart failure in tricuspid stenosis [ [1] Gupta S. Maheshwari A. Wuntkal R. Mazid T. Tongaonkar H.B. Diagnostic dilemma in an elderly woman with intractable ascites and elevated CA-125 level. J Assoc Phys India. 2006; 54: 655-656 PubMed Google Scholar ] and atrial septal defect [ [2] Mathew B. Bhatia V. Mahy I.R. Ahmed I. Francis L. Elevation of the tumor marker CA125 in right heart failure. South Med J. 2004; 97: 1013-1014 Crossref PubMed Scopus (12) Google Scholar ]. The authors’ recent work adds to the specific link of CA125 to right heart failure, and is a useful addendum to readers, however this was not available to me at the time of writing my review. Of particular interest is the question of whether heart failure and inflammation act synergistically to elevate serum CA125 levels and this could be quite important in COPD where inflammation is often present.