Maternal serum CA125 and CA15-3 antigen levels in normal and pathological pregnancy

Objective: To evaluate the value of maternal serum CA125 and CA15-3 concent rations for discriminating pathological from normal pregnancies. Methods: S erum samples from 120 women, in whom pregnancy outcome was pathological, i. e. spontaneous abortion, fetal death, intrauterine growth retardation, chro mosomal and structural abnormalities, and (pre)eclampsia, were assessed for CA125 and CA15-3 and compared with levels found in 350 women with a normal pregnancy outcome matched for age and duration of pregnancy. Results: Mate rnal CA125 serum values were significantly higher in the first and the thir d trimester of pregnancy (median 23.0 and 21.0 U/ml; p < 0.00001 and p < 0. 001, respectively), compared to those in the second trimester (median 14.0 U/ml), but not significantly different from those obtained in pathological pregnancies. Maternal serum CA15-3 values were significantly higher during the third trimester (median 26.0 U/ml) compared to the first and second tri mester of pregnancy (median 14.0 and 15.0 Ui ml; p < 0.0001); CA15-3 serum levels in normal and pathological pregnancies showed no significant differe nce. Conclusion: Maternal serum levels of CA125 are higher during the first and third trimester of pregnancy. CA15-3 maternal serum levels are higher during the third trimester compared to the first and second trimester. Mate rnal CA125 and CA15-3 serum levels showed no relation with a pathological o utcome of pregnancy. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.