Abstract
CA125, a tumor-associated antigen, is primarily used to monitor epithelial ovarian cancer. However, CA125 alone lacks the sensitivity and specificity necessary for population-based screening in healthy women. Barriers to the development of a screening assay includes the low incidence of the disease, large inter-individual variability in CA125 levels, fluctuations in levels during the phases of the menstrual cycle (i.e., menses, follicular, luteal), ethnicity, menopausal status, and other benign conditions. Evaluation of the molecular species of serum CA125 is a vital step in understanding the underlying biology of CA125. The specific aims of this study, in a sample of healthy women were: (1) To determine if the molecular species of CA125 differ across the three phases of the menstrual cycle; and (2) To determine if the absolute serum concentrations of CA125 differ across the three phases of the menstrual cycle, using two common commercial CA125 assays. Healthy, Caucasian women between the ages of 18 and 39 were enrolled using strict criteria to minimize serum CA125 fluctuations. After menstrual cycle regularity was determined using calendars maintained by participants for 3 months, blood samples for analyses of CA125 were collected at three different phases of the menstrual cycle. Serum levels of CA125 fluctuated across the menstrual cycle, with the highest levels found during menses. The amount of change in CA125 over time (i.e., 0.2 U/ml per day) was identical using both assays, which suggests that the relative changes in CA125 are consistently measured regardless of assay system. Additionally Western blot analysis yielded seventeen distinct profiles (patterns of species) of CA125. Demographic characteristics and serum CA125 values are not significantly different for each CA125 pattern or at any time point. Consistent with previous studies of CA125, our data show species ranging from 31 to 460 kDa. Most of the referent bands in our data appear at 117 kDa or higher indicating that CA125 may primarily be a high molecular weight species in healthy women with regular menstrual cycles. Future research needs to determine the clinical importance and the molecular composition of these species of CA125.
Sigma Membership
Alpha Eta
Type
Dissertation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Descriptive/Correlational
Research Approach
Quantitative Research
Keywords:
Cancer Screenings, Ovarian Cancer Testing, Oncology Nursing
Advisors
Aouizerat, Bradley E.||Miaskowski, Christine
Degree
PhD
Degree Grantor
University of California, San Francisco
Degree Year
2010
Recommended Citation
McLemore, Monica, "An evaluation of the molecular species of CA125 across the three phases of the menstrual cycle" (2020). Dissertations. 878.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/dissertations/878
Rights Holder
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Review Type
None: Degree-based Submission
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2020-04-15
Full Text of Presentation
wf_yes
Description
This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 3438961; ProQuest document ID: 849722376. The author still retains copyright.