Serum levels of CA 125 are elevated in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus.

Levels of CA 125 were measured in the serum of 37 female patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. The patients were classified into two groups according to the absence or presence of signs of disease activity: inactive (N = 9) and active disease (N = 28). CA 125 levels were higher in the group of patients with active disease. In the remission group the median was 9 U/mL (range 4-132), whereas in the group of patients with active disease, the median was 18 U/mL (range 2-272). Among patients with active disease, values higher than the generally accepted upper limit of 35 U/mL were found in ten of 28 cases.