Elevated serum CA-125 levels in patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial lung disease

  1. Sun Young KIM,
  2. Yoonki HONG,
  3. Chang-Min CHOI,
  4. Yeon-Mok OH,
  5. Sang Do LEE,
  6. Woo Sung KIM,
  7. Dong Soon KIM,
  8. Tae Sun SHIM

Article first published online: 11 JAN 2010

DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2009.01686.x

Issue

Respirology

Respirology

Volume 15, Issue 2, pages 357–360, February 2010

Additional Information

How to Cite

KIM, S. Y., HONG, Y., CHOI, C.-M., OH, Y.-M., LEE, S. D., KIM, W. S., KIM, D. S. and SHIM, T. S. (2010), Elevated serum CA-125 levels in patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial lung disease. Respirology, 15: 357–360. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2009.01686.x

Author Information

  1. Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea

*Tae Sun Shim, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 388-1 Pungnap-Dong, Songpa-Gu, Seoul 138-736, Korea. Email: shimts@amc.seoul.kr

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 26 JAN 2010
  2. Article first published online: 11 JAN 2010
  3. Received 31 March 2009; invited to revise 6 May 2009, 21 July 2009; revised 30 June 2009, 13 August 2009; accepted 4 September 2009 (Associate Editor: Jose Porcel).

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Keywords:

  • cancer antigen 125;
  • lung;
  • non-tuberculous mycobacterium;
  • tuberculosis;
  • tumour marker

The clinical significance of serum CA-125 measurements in patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease has not been investigated. This study showed that serum CA-125 levels were elevated in some patients with NTM pulmonary disease. Further studies are needed to investigate the usefulness of serum CA-125 measurements in patients with NTM pulmonary disease.

ABSTRACT

Background and objective:  Although cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) is a useful marker for the diagnosis of ovarian cancer, CA-125 levels are elevated in many benign conditions, including tuberculosis (TB). The clinical significance of serum CA-125 measurements in patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease was evaluated.

Methods:  Patients with NTM lung disease (n = 53), in whom serum CA-125 levels had been measured, were retrospectively enrolled in the study. Twenty-eight patients with pulmonary TB were included as a comparison group. Clinical, radiological and bacteriological parameters were assessed according to serum CA-125 status.

Results:  Among 53 patients with NTM lung disease, serum CA-125 levels were elevated in 28 (52.8%), and this proportion was not significantly different from that of the TB patients (44.8%). Cavitation and upper lobe cavitary type disease were more frequent in NTM patients with elevated serum CA-125 levels compared with those without increased CA-125 levels (P < 0.05 for both). The clinical course of NTM lung disease was correlated with changes in serum CA-125 levels.

Conclusions:  Serum CA-125 levels were increased in significant proportions of NTM patients, as well as TB patients. Further studies are needed to investigate the usefulness of serum CA-125 measurements in patients with NTM pulmonary disease.

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