Test Id : HE4
Human Epididymis Protein 4, Serum
Useful For
Suggests clinical disorders or settings where the test may be helpful
Aiding in monitoring patients with treated epithelial ovarian cancer for recurrence or progression
This test should not be used as a screening test for ovarian cancer.
Method Name
A short description of the method used to perform the test
Electrochemiluminescence Immunoassay (ECLIA)
NY State Available
Indicates the status of NY State approval and if the test is orderable for NY State clients.
Reporting Name
Lists a shorter or abbreviated version of the Published Name for a test
Aliases
Lists additional common names for a test, as an aid in searching
WFDC2
HE4
Specimen Type
Describes the specimen type validated for testing
Serum
Specimen Required
Defines the optimal specimen required to perform the test and the preferred volume to complete testing
Patient Preparation: For 12 hours before specimen collection, patient should not take multivitamins or dietary supplements (eg, hair, skin, and nail supplements) containing biotin (vitamin B7).
Supplies: Sarstedt Aliquot Tube, 5 mL (T914)
Collection Container/Tube:
Preferred: Serum gel
Acceptable: Red top
Submission Container: Plastic vial
Specimen Volume: 1 mL
Collection Instructions: Centrifuge and aliquot serum into a plastic vial.
Forms
If not ordering electronically, complete, print, and send an Oncology Test Request (T729) with the specimen.
Specimen Minimum Volume
Defines the amount of sample necessary to provide a clinically relevant result as determined by the testing laboratory. The minimum volume is sufficient for one attempt at testing.
0.75 mL
Reject Due To
Identifies specimen types and conditions that may cause the specimen to be rejected
| Gross hemolysis | Reject |
| Gross lipemia | OK |
Specimen Stability Information
Provides a description of the temperatures required to transport a specimen to the performing laboratory, alternate acceptable temperatures are also included
| Specimen Type | Temperature | Time | Special Container |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serum | Frozen (preferred) | 84 days | |
| Refrigerated | 7 days |
Useful For
Suggests clinical disorders or settings where the test may be helpful
Aiding in monitoring patients with treated epithelial ovarian cancer for recurrence or progression
This test should not be used as a screening test for ovarian cancer.
Clinical Information
Discusses physiology, pathophysiology, and general clinical aspects, as they relate to a laboratory test
Human epididymis (HE) protein 4 belongs to the family of whey acidic four-disulfide core (WFDC) proteins. Currently, the biologic function of HE4 is unknown.
Human epididymis protein 4 has been shown to be overexpressed in 93% of serous, 100% of endometrioid, and 50% of clear cell ovarian carcinomas. In a study of 233 patients with a pelvic mass, including 67 with epithelial ovarian cancer, HE4 had a higher sensitivity for ovarian cancer detection than cancer antigen (CA) 125, 72.9% versus 43.3%, respectively, at a specificity of 95%. Researchers also found HE4 to be elevated in more than half of the ovarian cancer patients who did not have elevated CA 125 levels; therefore, the combination of markers provided slightly improved cancer diagnostic sensitivity for the detection of ovarian cancer.
The main established application of HE4 is in post-therapy monitoring of ovarian cancer patients, who had elevated pretreatment levels. In this setting, it complements CA 125 measurement and facilitates follow-up of patients with little or no CA 125 pretreatment elevations.
Certain histological types of ovarian cancer (mucinous or germ cell tumors) rarely express HE4, therefore the use of HE4 is not recommended for monitoring of patients with these types of ovarian cancer.
Reference Values
Describes reference intervals and additional information for interpretation of test results. May include intervals based on age and sex when appropriate. Intervals are Mayo-derived, unless otherwise designated. If an interpretive report is provided, the reference value field will state this.
Females: < or =140 pmol/L
Males: Not applicable
Interpretation
Provides information to assist in interpretation of the test results
Increase in human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) suggests recurrence or disease progression, while a decrease suggests therapeutic response. A change in serum HE4 concentration of greater than or equal to 20% is considered significant.
Cautions
Discusses conditions that may cause diagnostic confusion, including improper specimen collection and handling, inappropriate test selection, and interfering substances
Results cannot be interpreted as absolute evidence of the presence or absence of malignant ovarian disease, because mild elevations of human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) might also be present in individuals with benign gynecologic conditions (ovarian cysts, cystadenomas, leiomyomas, myomas, fibromas, and endometriosis), hypertension, congestive heart failure, and kidney or liver disease.
Serial testing for patient HE4 results should be used in conjunction with other clinical methods for monitoring ovarian cancer.
The use of this test in disease states other than ovarian cancer has not been clinically validated.
Serum markers are not specific for malignancy and values may vary by method. Values obtained with different assay methods cannot be used interchangeably. Correlation studies between this method and the previous enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method show good correlation (correlation coefficient =0.92). However, this method will, on average, give 28% higher HE4 concentrations and individual patient results may vary more than would be calculated from the correlation equation.
Ideally, when changing methods, parallel testing using the old and new method allows for establishing the patient's HE4 baseline levels with the new method (rebaseline).
In rare cases, some individuals can develop antibodies to mouse or other animal antibodies (often referred to as human anti-mouse antibodies [HAMA] or heterophile antibodies), which may cause interference in some immunoassays. The presence of antibodies to streptavidin or ruthenium can rarely occur and may also interfere in this assay. Caution should be used in interpretation of results, and the laboratory should be alerted if the result does not correlate with the clinical presentation.
Clinical Reference
Recommendations for in-depth reading of a clinical nature
1. Moore RG, Brown AK, Miller MC, et al. The use of multiple novel tumor biomarkers for the detection of ovarian carcinoma in patients with a pelvic mass. Gynecol Oncol. 2008;108(2):402-408
2. Ferraro S, Braga F, Lanzoni M, Boracchi P, Biganzoli EM, Panteghini M. Serum human epididymis protein 4 vs carbohydrate antigen 125 for ovarian cancer diagnosis: a systematic review. J Clin Pathol. 2013;66(4):273-281
3. Dochez V, Caillon H, Vaucel E, Dimet J, Winer N, Ducarme G. Biomarkers and algorithms for diagnosis of ovarian cancer: CA125, HE4, RMI and ROMA, a review. J Ovarian Res. 2019;12(1):28. Published 2019 Mar 27. doi:10.1186/s13048-019-0503-7
Method Description
Describes how the test is performed and provides a method-specific reference
The Roche Elecsys HE4 (human epididymal protein 4) assay is a sandwich electrochemiluminescence immunoassay that employs a biotinylated monoclonal HE4-specific antibody and a monoclonal HE4-specific antibody labeled with ruthenium complex. HE4 in the specimen reacts with both the biotinylated monoclonal HE4-specific antibody (mouse) and the monoclonal HE4-specific antibody (mouse) labeled with ruthenium, forming a sandwich complex. Streptavidin-coated microparticles are added and the mixture is aspirated into the measuring cell where the microparticles are magnetically captured onto the surface of the electrode. Unbound substances are then removed. Application of voltage to the electrode induces the chemiluminescent emission, which is then measured against a calibration curve to determine the amount of HE4 in the patient specimen.(Package insert: Roche Elecsys HE4. Roche Diagnostics; V 3.0, 06/2024)
PDF Report
Indicates whether the report includes an additional document with charts, images or other enriched information
Day(s) Performed
Outlines the days the test is performed. This field reflects the day that the sample must be in the testing laboratory to begin the testing process and includes any specimen preparation and processing time before the test is performed. Some tests are listed as continuously performed, which means that assays are performed multiple times during the day.
Monday through Saturday
Report Available
The interval of time (receipt of sample at Mayo Clinic Laboratories to results available) taking into account standard setup days and weekends. The first day is the time that it typically takes for a result to be available. The last day is the time it might take, accounting for any necessary repeated testing.
Specimen Retention Time
Outlines the length of time after testing that a specimen is kept in the laboratory before it is discarded
Performing Laboratory Location
Indicates the location of the laboratory that performs the test
Fees :
Several factors determine the fee charged to perform a test. Contact your U.S. or International Regional Manager for information about establishing a fee schedule or to learn more about resources to optimize test selection.
- Authorized users can sign in to Test Prices for detailed fee information.
- Clients without access to Test Prices can contact Customer Service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Prospective clients should contact their account representative. For assistance, contact Customer Service.
Test Classification
Provides information regarding the medical device classification for laboratory test kits and reagents. Tests may be classified as cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and used per manufacturer instructions, or as products that do not undergo full FDA review and approval, and are then labeled as an Analyte Specific Reagent (ASR) product.
This test has been cleared, approved, or is exempt by the US Food and Drug Administration and is used per manufacturer's instructions. Performance characteristics were verified by Mayo Clinic in a manner consistent with CLIA requirements.
CPT Code Information
Provides guidance in determining the appropriate Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code(s) information for each test or profile. The listed CPT codes reflect Mayo Clinic Laboratories interpretation of CPT coding requirements. It is the responsibility of each laboratory to determine correct CPT codes to use for billing.
CPT codes are provided by the performing laboratory.
CPT codes are provided by the performing laboratory.
86305
LOINC® Information
Provides guidance in determining the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) values for the order and results codes of this test. LOINC values are provided by the performing laboratory.
| Test Id | Test Order Name | Order LOINC Value |
|---|---|---|
| HE4 | HE4, S | 55180-4 |
| Result Id | Test Result Name |
Result LOINC Value
Applies only to results expressed in units of measure originally reported by the performing laboratory. These values do not apply to results that are converted to other units of measure.
|
|---|---|---|
| HE4 | HE4, S | 55180-4 |