Increased serum CA125 levels in plasma cell dyscrasias

Acta Haematol. 1997;98(2):104-8. doi: 10.1159/000203599.

Abstract

We report 2 cases of plasma cell dyscrasia presenting with significantly elevated serum CA125 levels. The serum levels of CA125 from these patients correlated well with their serum M-protein levels. One patient had an IgG-kappa type extramedullary plasmacytoma with the culture supernatant from lymph node plasma cells showing a considerably high level of CA125 activity. The serum IgG fraction purified using a protein A column was devoid of any detectable CA125 activity, negating that the serum IgG M-protein from this patient might respond with a false-positive result in the CA125 immunoradiometric assay. The other patient had an IgG-lambda type plasma cell leukemia with the culture supernatant from peripheral mononuclear cells also showing a high level of CA125 activity. These observations may suggest that in plasma cell dyscrasias the CA125 antigen is spontaneously produced by tumor cells.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • CA-125 Antigen / blood*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Connectin
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / analysis
  • Leukemia, Plasma Cell / blood
  • Leukemia, Plasma Cell / complications
  • Lymph Nodes / chemistry
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Muscle Proteins*
  • Myeloma Proteins / analysis
  • Paraproteinemias / blood*
  • Paraproteinemias / complications
  • Plasmacytoma / blood
  • Plasmacytoma / complications

Substances

  • CA-125 Antigen
  • Connectin
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Muscle Proteins
  • Myeloma Proteins
  • multiple myeloma M-proteins