Value of CA-125 in diagnosis and assessment of severity of active pulmonary tuberculosis

Cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) is usually elevated in ovarian cancer. However, there are several reports that serum CA-125 is elevated in tuberculosis.Aim of the workThis study was done to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum level of CA-125 in active pulmonary tuberculosis and its relation to disease severity.Subjects and methodsThe study enrolled 80 patients who were selected from Damietta Chest Hospital and Chest Department, Benha University Hospitals in the period from July 2013 to July 2014. The subjects were classified into 3 groups: group I: included 40 patients with new diagnosed active pulmonary tuberculosis, group II: included 20 patients with pneumonia, group III: included 20 apparently healthy subjects as control group. The patients were subjected to full history taking, full clinical examination, plain chest X-ray PA view, sputum examination for AFB for three successive days by direct smear for group I & II, tuberculin skin test, CBC and ESR and serum level of CA-125 by ELIZA.ResultsThere was a statistically significant difference among the three studied groups according to the serum level of CA 125 as it was significantly higher in group I. The study revealed that serum CA 125 levels in group I was significantly higher in far advanced and moderate advanced disease than minimal lesion one. There was a statistically significant difference in serum CA 125 levels in group I regarding the results of sputum analysis for AFB. Serum level of CA125 at a cut off value of 21.05 U/ml has sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, accuracy of 82.5%, 72.5%, 77.3%, 83.3% and 80.0% respectively in diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis.ConclusionSerum CA-125 may be used as a marker for diagnosis and assessment of severity of active pulmonary tuberculosis.