Exploring the glycosylation of serum CA125

Int J Mol Sci. 2013 Jul 26;14(8):15636-54. doi: 10.3390/ijms140815636.

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynaecologic cancer affecting women. The most widely used biomarker for ovarian cancer, CA125, lacks sensitivity and specificity. Here, we explored differences in glycosylation of CA125 between serum from patients with ovarian cancer and healthy controls. We found differences between CA125 N-glycans from patient sera compared to controls. These include increases in core-fucosylated bi-antennary monosialylated glycans, as well as decreases in mostly bisecting bi-antennary and non-fucosylated glycans in patients compared to controls. Measurement of the glycosylated state of CA125 may therefore provide a more specific biomarker for patients with ovarian cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers / blood
  • CA-125 Antigen / blood*
  • CA-125 Antigen / metabolism
  • Carbohydrate Sequence
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Female
  • Fucose / chemistry
  • Glycosylation
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / blood
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology
  • Polysaccharides / analysis
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • CA-125 Antigen
  • Polysaccharides
  • Fucose