Upregulation of des-gamma-carboxy-prothrombin after portal vein embolization in a cirrhotic patient with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Abstract

A 73-year-old female with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) received percutaneous transhepatic portal vein embolization (PTPE) before extensive right lobe hepatectomy. Serum levels of des-gamma-carboxy-prothrombin (DCP) were increased and remained at a high level until hepatectomy. Immunohistochemical examination revealed that an increased expression of DCP was demonstrated not only in HCC tissues, but also in the non-cancerous liver of the right lobe, where portal blood flow was blocked off as a result of PTPE. The serum level of DCP is known to be greatly increased in patients with HCC accompanied by portal vein invasion. We speculate that this increased DCP level is caused by both increased DCP production in HCC tissue and the surrounding non-cancerous liver, where portal flow is blocked off as a result of portal invasion by HCC.

• Authors: Tetsuro Sohda, Kaoru Iwata, Akira Anan, Hideo Kunimoto, Kaoru Yotsumoto, Keiji Yokoyama, Daisuke Morihara, Yasuaki Takeyama, Satoshi Shakado, Akinobu Osame, Shinichi Kora, Jun Ohishi, Yasushi Yamauchi, Tomoaki Noritomi, Kengo Yoshimitsu, Yuichi Yamashita, Shotaro Sakisaka
• Journal: Clinical journal of gastroenterology (Clin J Gastroenterol) Vol. 8 Issue 5 Pg. 330-4 (Oct 2015) ISSN: 1865-7265 [Electronic] Japan
• PMID: 26374567 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers
• Protein Precursors
• acarboxyprothrombin
• Prothrombin

Topics

• Aged
• Biomarkers (blood, metabolism)
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (metabolism, therapy)
• Embolization, Therapeutic
• Female
• Hepatectomy
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Liver (metabolism)
• Liver Cirrhosis
• Liver Neoplasms (metabolism, therapy)
• Neoplasm Invasiveness
• Portal Vein
• Protein Precursors (blood, metabolism)
• Prothrombin (metabolism)
• Up-Regulation