Ca-125, A Biomarker in Acute-Decompensated Heart Failure. Preliminary Study.

Background. CA-125 is a tumor antigen expressed on the surface of ovarian cells, used to monitor the treatment of ovarian cancer (normal upper limit is 35U/mL), but it seems also to have a role as biomarker in heart failure (HF).

Aim. To determine CA-125 changes in acute-decompensated HF (ADHF) patients.

Method. The study group included 110 patients (mean age 72±10 years, 63% men) with ADHF caused by ischemic cardiomyopathy. The subjects were clinically, ecocardiographically and biologically (NT-proBNP, PCR, serum uric acid (sUA), CA-125) evaluated.

Results. CA-125 at admission was 53±33 U/mL and decreased at discharge to 34±17 U/mL, without any difference between males and females. The mean level of CA-125 was significantly higher in patients with pleural effusion.

There was a significant difference between NT-proBNP at admission in obese versus normoponderal patients, which was maintained at discharge. In the same time, the CA-125 did not show significant differences between obese and normoponderal subjects at admission and discharge. The mean level of CA-125 was significantly higher for subjects with reduced ejection fraction and with elevated left ventricular filling pressures versus subjects with preserved ejection fraction and normal left ventricular filling pressures.

The CA-125 correlated with LVEF (R=-0.221, p=0.02), with NT-proBNP (R=0.371, p<0.001), with the inflammation marker - PCR (R=0.284, p=0.003) and oxidative stress marker - sUA (R=0.234, p=0.015).

Conclusions. The wide availability of CA-125, its relatively low cost, its correlation with known prognostic markers in HF and the additional information provided make it a valuable biomarker that can be used in monitoring ADHF patients.