Des-γ-carboxyprothrombin may be a promising biomarker to determine the therapeutic efficacy of sorafenib for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of des-γ-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) as a marker for the efficacy of sorafenib therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS:

Patients with advanced HCC treated with sorafenib were retrospectively evaluated, focusing on DCP levels and clinical characteristics.

RESULTS:

50 patients with advanced HCC were treated with sorafenib alone. In 25 of these patients, the serum levels of DCP were evaluated twice (pretreatment and within 2 weeks after starting therapy). The time to progression was significantly longer in patients in whom the DCP level at 2 weeks after starting sorafenib was ≥2-fold higher than the pretreatment levels, as compared with patients without an increase in DCP (p = 0.0296).

CONCLUSIONS:

The serum level of DCP is a surrogate marker for tissue hypoxia and can be a predictive marker to assess the tumor response to sorafenib therapy.

• Authors: Kazuomi Ueshima, Masatoshi Kudo, Masahiro Takita, Tomoyuki Nagai, Chie Tatsumi, Taisuke Ueda, Satoshi Kitai, Emi Ishikawa, Norihisa Yada, Tatsuo Inoue, Satoru Hagiwara, Yasunori Minami, Hobyung Chung, Toshiharu Sakurai
• Journal: Digestive diseases (Basel, Switzerland) (Dig Dis) Vol. 29 Issue 3 Pg. 321-5 ( 2011) ISSN: 1421-9875 [Electronic] Switzerland
• PMID: 21829024 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Chemical References

• Benzenesulfonates
• Biomarkers
• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Phenylurea Compounds
• Protein Precursors
• Pyridines
• Niacinamide
• acarboxyprothrombin
• Prothrombin
• Sorafenib

Topics

• Aged
• Benzenesulfonates (therapeutic use)
• Biomarkers (metabolism)
• Biomarkers, Tumor (blood)
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (blood, diagnostic imaging, drug therapy)
• Disease Progression
• Female
• Humans
• Liver Neoplasms (blood, diagnostic imaging, drug therapy)
• Male
• Niacinamide (analogs & derivatives)
• Phenylurea Compounds
• Protein Precursors (metabolism)
• Prothrombin (metabolism)
• Pyridines (therapeutic use)
• Radiography
• Sorafenib
• Survival Analysis