Serum carbohydrate antigen 125 concentration as a superior predictor for serosal effusion at diagnosis and a prognostic factor in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Affiliations: Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Wei Xu, Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu, China. Tel.: +86 25 83781120; Fax: +86 25 83781120; E-mail:xuwei10000@hotmail.com
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA-125) is one of the most
common used tumor biomarkers in clinical practice. Previous studies showed
an association of increased CA-125 levels with advanced characteristics and
inferior outcome in non-Hodgkin lymphoma. OBJECTIVE: To identify the clinical significance of CA-125 in
diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 181 patients with DLBCL with
measured serum CA-125 concentration at diagnosis and follow-ups during the
courses. Clinical significance of CA-125 was evaluated by assessing the
association between CA-125 levels and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: CA-125 levels on admission were positively
correlated with serum lactate dehydrogenase, β2-microglobulin
(β2-MG), serum ferritin (SF) and cavity effusion, while negatively
correlated with serum albumen (ALB). During the courses, CA-125 levels were
positively correlated with β 2-MG, SF and effusion, and negatively correlated
with ALB. A better correlation between effusion and CA-125 levels was
observed. Using a cut-off value > 50.39 U/ml gave a sensitivity of 73.8%
and a specificity of 92.1% for the indication of effusion at diagnosis,
while during the courses the sensitivity was much lower. On the prognostic
role of CA-125, we found prognostic relevance on progression-free survival
(PFS) but not on overall survival (OS). CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed limited usefulness of CA-125
concentration at diagnosis and follow-ups in DLBCL.
Keywords: CA-125, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, serosal effusion, prognosis
