HE4 as a Serum Biomarker for ROMA Prediction and Prognosis of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Background and Purpose: Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) has been suggested to be a novel biomarkerof epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The present study aimed to evaluate and compare HE4 with the commonlyused marker, carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), in prediction and therapy-monitoring of EOC. Patients and
Methods: Serum HE4 concentrations from 123 ovarian cancer patients and 174 controls were measured by Rocheelectrochemiluminescent immunoassay (ECLIA). Risk of ovarian malignancy algorithm (ROMA) values werecalculated and assessed. In addition, the prospects of HE4 detection for therapy-monitoring were evaluated inEOC patients.
Results: The ROMA score could classify patients into high- and low-risk groups with malignancy.Indeed, lower serum HE4 was significantly associated with successful surgical therapy. Specifically, 38 patientswith EOC exhibited a greater decline of HE4 compared with CA125. In contrast, elevation of HE4 better predictedrecurrence (of 46, 11 patients developed recurrence, and with it increased HE4 serum concentrations) and apoor prognosis than CA125.
Conclusions: This study suggests that serum HE4 levels are closely associated withoutcome of surgical therapy and disease prognosis in Chinese EOC patients.