Clinical validation of the new ELSA-CA 125 II assay: report of a European multicentre evaluation.

The ELSA-CA 125 II is a second-generation radioimmunoassay for the quantification of CA 125 in serum. In a multicentre study involving 49 follow-ups of patients with ovarian cancers, and 880 other patients, 2.8% of healthy persons, 25% of 149 patients with benign gynaecological diseases and 39% of 82 patients with benign non-gynaecological diseases had CA 125 levels above 35 U/ml. Using the 35 U/ml cut-off, sensitivities among epithelial ovarian cancers were found to be 85% in serous tumors, 41% in mucinous tumors and 83% in other types. During follow-up of patients with serous ovarian cancers, we observed an equivalent behaviour of both assays--first- and second-generation--with the clinical evolution. We also compared results obtained with other assays commercially available; these were significantly different when a polyclonal antibody was used in the sandwich assay.

Circulating beta-2-microglobulin levels during pregnancy and their possible relationship with feto-maternal histocompatibility.

Plasma beta 2 microglobulin (beta 2m) levels have been measured by radioimmunoassay in normal pregnant women, in two successive pregnancies of a woman who shares HLA antigens with her husband, in normal twin pregnancies, in toxemic pregnancies and in hydatidiform moles. During normal pregnancy, plasma beta 2m levels decrease reaching a minimum at week 14 and increase thereafter to a maximum at week 34. In the two successive pregnancies of the one patient with HLA compatibility, beta 2m concentrations were significantly lower than in normal pregnancies. Women with monozygotic twins had significantly less beta 2m than women with heterozygotic twins. Toxemic patients bearing female fetuses had also statistically lower beta 2m levels than toxemic women with male fetuses. Patients suffering from hydatidiform moles had beta 2m levels in the range of normal pregnant patients. Since circulating beta 2m is produced by lymphocytes one might assume that low beta 2m levels reflect a reduced activity of lymphocytes. The results presented here allow to propose a hypothesis which will have to be verified that reduced beta 2m levels are associated with an increased feto-maternal histocompatibility.