Association of Carbohydrate Antigen 125 Levels and Right Ventricular Dysfunction in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background and Aims: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with right ventricular (RV) dysfunction have poor prognoses, and early detection of RV dysfunction is beneficial. Therefore, we aimed to determine the association between CA125 levels and RV dysfunction in patients with COPD. Methods: We enrolled 40 patients with stable COPD underwent echocardiography and the serum CA125 levels were measured. Results: The mean CA125 level was higher in COPD patients with RV dysfunction (17.28 ± 27.35 U/mL) than without (10.94 ± 10.62 U/mL); however, it was not statistically significant (p = 0.147). Additionally, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and pulmonary arterial pressure were not significantly different, while RV free wall strain (RVFWS) was decreased in the COPD patients with RV dysfunction when compared to the patients without RV dysfunction (p < 0.001). Moreover, the CA125 level was remarkably correlated with RVFWS (r = -0.497, p = 0.03) and FAC (r = 0.51, p = 0.025) in patients with RV dysfunction. Conclusion: We found that the CA125 level may not be beneficial in detecting RV dysfunction in stable COPD patients without exacerbation or hospitalization. However, further examinations with larger sample sizes are necessary to confirm our findings.