The predictive value of serum cancer antigen 125 (CA125) levels on pregnancy outcome in threatened miscarriages
Date
2019-09-30
Authors
Adeku, Mosunmola
ADEGBOLA, Omololu
Ajayi, Godwin
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
De Gruyter
Abstract
Background: Spontaneous miscarriages are common pregnancy
complications which result in psychological and
emotional burden in the affected women. It is therefore
necessary to identify biomarkers that can predict pregnancy
outcome in women with threatened miscarriages so
as to assist in their counselling and management.
Methods: The study compared levels of maternal serum
CA125 in 65 pregnancies with threatened miscarriages
(study group) with 65 normal intrauterine pregnancies
(control group) between 6 weeks and 19 weeks + 6 days
gestation using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay
(ELISA) technique.
Results: The mean age of the study and control groups
were 29.5 ± 0.14 years and 30.1 ± 0.14 years, respectively. The
mean serum CA125 in the study group was 30.1 ± 1.1 IU/mL
while that of the control group was 22.9 ± 1.2 IU/mL and
this was statistically significant (P = 0.0001). The mean
serum CA125 level in the women whose pregnancies were
aborted (aborters) was 34.8 ± 1.4 IU/mL while the mean
value among those whose pregnancies continued till
term (non-aborters) was 27.3 ± 1.2 IU/mL. This was statistically
significant (P = 0.001). Further analysis using CA125
≥36.2 IU/mL (mean value of serum CA125 among aborters
+ 1 standard deviation) as a threshold for intrauterine
pregnancies that eventually got aborted showed a sensitivity
of 66.7%, specificity of 83.3%, positive predictive
value of 55.6%, negative predictive value of 88.9% and the
diagnostic effectiveness (accuracy) was 79.4%.
Conclusion: The measurement of serum CA125 is a
useful predictor of pregnancy outcome in threatened
miscarriages.
Description
Keywords
normal pregnancy; serum CA 125; threatened miscarriage.