PERITONEUM AND TISSUES OF THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE-TRACT AS PHYSIOLOGICAL SOURCES OF CA-125

The origin of physiological CA-125 serum levels, which in normally men struating women were shown to depend on their actual menstrual cycle p hase, has not yet been completely elucidated. It is furthermore concei vable that physiological CA-125 sources may contribute to serum elevat ions in the various pathologies associated with increased circulating CA-125. The present review deals with menstrual cycle-dependent expres sion of CA-125 in normal tissues of the female reproductive tract in r elation to the actual circulating CA-125 levels together with in vivo data concerning the inductive effect of medroxyprogesterone acetate on circulating CA-125 studied in 24 postmenopausal women. Furthermore, i n vitro results on constitutive, steroid hormone- and cytokine-modulat ed CA-125 shedding from human peritoneal mesothelial and ovarian surfa ce epithelial cells are summarized.