[Relationship between serum levels and immunohistological tissue levels of CA 125 and CEA in epithelial ovarian cancers: its implications for tumor cell type specificity].

Tissue localization and serum levels of CA125 and CEA in patients with epithelial ovarian tumors were examined. In patients with serous cystadenocarcinoma, "high CA125 and low CEA" was a characteristic feature in the serum, while in patients with mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, "low CA125 and high CEA" was generally found in the serum. Tissue localization of CA125 was strongly positive in serous cystadenocarcinoma associated with high serum CA125 levels, and negative in serous tumors showing normal serum CA125 levels. In mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, CA125 staining was positive with a minimum intensity. Immunostaining of CEA was strongly positive in mucinous cystadenocarcinoma associated with high serum CEA levels and was negative in mucinous tumors showing normal serum CEA levels. Tissue localization of CEA in serous cystadenocarcinoma was negative. There was a good correlation between serum CA125 and immunohistochemical tissue levels of CA125 in serous cystadenocarcinoma, and the same between serum CEA and immunohistochemical tissue levels of CEA in mucinous cystadenocarcinoma. These results demonstrate that in epithelial ovarian tumors CA125 has a relatively higher tumor cell type specificity for serous cystadenocarcinoma, whereas CEA does for mucinous cystadenocarcinoma.