Wallach's Interpretation of Diagnostic Tests: Pathways to Arriving at a Clinical Diagnosis (781 page)

   Menstruation, endometriosis

   Pleural effusion or inflammation (e.g., cancer, congestive heart failure)

   Peritoneal effusion or inflammation (e.g., pelvic inflammatory disease) and especially in bacterial peritonitis in which the ascitic concentration is greater than the serum concentration

   Some nonmalignant conditions

   Cirrhosis, severe liver necrosis (66%)

   Other diseases and disorders of the GI tract, liver, and pancreas

   Renal failure

   Healthy persons (1%)

Decreased Values

   Postmenopausal women

   African American and Asian women, for whom normal values are lower

   Limitations

   Human antimurine or heterophile antibodies.

   The CA-125 level is not increased in mucinous adenocarcinoma.

   Different assays do not produce equivalent values and should not be used interchangeably.