Table 3

Overview of selected studies on carbohydrate antigen 15-3 levels during normal pregnancy.

Author/year of publication

Study design

Laboratory technique

Number of patients

Cut-off value

Trimester 1

Trimester 2

Trimester 3

Conclusion

1

Touitou 1989 [6]

cross-sectional

IRMA, CIS-Bio International, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France

T1 n = 32; T2 n = 32; T3 n = 36

<25

11.1 ± 4.2

mean ± SD

14.2 ± 5.1

17.0 ± 5.0

None above cut-off value

2

Schlageter 1998 [7]

longitudinal

ELSA-CA 15-3 (CIS-Bio International), Gif-Sur-Yvette, France

n = 12

<30

9.3 ± 4.0

(mean ± SD)

5 to 15 (range)

14.1 ± 4.1

10 to 22.8

16.5 ± 4.1

8.8 to 24.2

None above cut-off value

3

Botsis 1999 [8]

cross-sectional

EIA, Tumor markers CA 153, Abbott AXSYM system, Abbott Park, Il, USA

T1 n = 20; T2 n = 29; T3 n = 26

<33

18.0 (median)

14 to 30 (range)

20

1.0 to 34

22

12 to 41

5%, 10% and 20% above cut-off value, in the 3 trimesters respectively

4

Cheli 1999 [9]

cross-sectional

Bayer Immuno 1 CA 15-3 assay, Tarrytown, New York, USA)

T1 n = 32; T2 n = 5; T3 n = 53

<35

16.76 (mean)

-

20.78

3.3% above cut-off value

5

Bon 2001 [10]

cross-sectional

Enzymun-Test CA 15-3 (Boehringer, Mannheim, Germany)

T1 n = 127; T2 n = 192; T3 n = 47

Not stated

14.0 (median)

5.0 to 32 (range)

15.0

6.0 to 40

26.0

9 to 56

Raised above cut-off value, percentage not stated

6

Ercan 2011 [11]

longitudinal

Modular Analytics E 170 Module (Roche diagnostics), Basel, Switserland.

n = 30

<25

17.5 (median)

7.6 to 39.3 (range)

19.7

10.4 to 39

18.3

7 to 38.6

16% above cut-off value

SD, standard deviation; T, trimester.

Han et al. BMC Medicine 2012 10:86   doi:10.1186/1741-7015-10-86