RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Induction of inflammatory response within the placenta in patients with pre-eclampsia triggers the expression of CA125, thus making CA125 a potential marker reflecting the severity of preeclampsia. OBJECTIVE: The study was aimed to assess and compare CA125 levels in pre-eclamptics and normotensives. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A case-control design was used to study 83 each of the selected pre-eclamptics and normotensives women using a systematic sampling technique. Data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaire; blood and urine samples were also collected and analysed in the laboratory. Data were summarised using frequencies, percentages, mean ± standard deviation (SD) or median, and range as appropriate. Inferential statistical measures were used to determine the relationship between the outcome and independent variables with a P value set to be statistically significant at ≤0.05. RESULTS: The ages of the pre-eclamptics and normotensives women were found to have a mean ± SD of 29.46 ± 6.92 and 29.70 ± 6.90 years, respectively. More than half 58 (69.9%) of the cases had proteinuria of 3+ (300 mg/dL). Significant difference was statistically (P < 0.01) found in mean serum CA125 levels between women with mild and severe pre-eclampsia with CA125 being more likely to be higher (>50 IU/mL) in severe pre-eclampsia than in mild pre-eclampsia. CONCLUSION: The study has shown that serum CA125 is elevated in pre-eclamptic pregnancies compared to normotensive pregnancies and the possibility of CA125 being a biomarker of severity and hence may provide information to make an informed choice in early-onset pre-eclampsia to consider conservative management and thus improve perinatal outcome.