Significance of the serum CA-125 level in intrauterine insemination cycles

OBJECTIVE: There are limited data regarding the significance of elevated serum CA-125 level during IUI cycles, even though it is used widely during the initial evaluation of infertile patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of serum CA-125 levels during IUI cycles. METHODS: Among the patients with controlled ovarian stimulation and IUI cycles at Seoul National University Hospital from Jan 2005 through Dec 2009, 92 cases with no identified endometriotic lesion, ovarian tumor, salpingeal lesion, or uterine myoma were selected. To compare the clinical characteristics between the pregnancy group and the non-pregnancy group, the Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's exact test were used. RESULTS: The overall pregnancy rate was 18.5% (17/92). The pregnancy group showed a higher number of follicles 16 mm in diameter (p=0.036), endometrial thickness (p<0.001), ampules of gonadotropin (p=0.009), and higher body mass index (p=0.022) than the non-pregnancy group. No significant difference was observed in the serum CA-125 level or the proportion of patients with CA-125 exceeding 17 IU/mL between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The prognostic value of serum CA-125 level among infertile patients with IUI cycles is considered limited.