Tumor-associated autoantibodies are useful biomarkers in immunodiagnosis of α-fetoprotein-negative hepatocellular carcinoma.

Abstract

AIM:

To determine the prevalence and diagnostic value of autoantibodies in α-fetoprotein (AFP)-negative hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS:

Fifty-six serum samples from AFP-negative HCC cases, 86 from AFP-positive HCC cases, 168 from chronic liver disease cases, and 59 from normal human controls were included in this study. Autoantibodies to nucleophosmin (NPM)1, 14-3-3zeta and mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) proteins in AFP-negative HCC serum were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Partially positive sera were further evaluated by western blotting. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of three tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) in AFP-negative HCC and normal control tissues.

RESULTS:

The frequency of autoantibodies to the three TAAs in AFP-negative HCC sera was 21.4%, 19.6% and 19.6%, which was significantly higher than in the chronic liver disease cases and normal human controls (P < 0.01) as well as AFP-positive HCC cases. The sensitivity of the three autoantibodies for diagnosis of AFP-negative HCC ranged from 19.6% to 21.4%, and the specificity was approximately 95%. When the three autoantibodies were combined, the sensitivity reached 30.4% and the specificity reached 91.6%.

CONCLUSION:

Autoantibodies to NPM1, 14-3-3zeta and MDM2 may be useful biomarkers for immunodiagnosis of AFP-negative HCC.

• Authors: Ting Wang, Mei Liu, Su-Jun Zheng, Dan-Dan Bian, Jin-Yan Zhang, Jia Yao, Qing-Fen Zheng, A-Meng Shi, Wen-Han Li, Lu Li, Yu Chen, Jin-Hai Wang, Zhong-Ping Duan, Lei Dong
• Journal: World journal of gastroenterology (World J Gastroenterol) Vol. 23 Issue 19 Pg. 3496-3504 (May 21 2017) ISSN: 2219-2840 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 28596685 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• 14-3-3 Proteins
• Autoantibodies
• Biomarkers, Tumor
• NPM1 protein, human
• Npm1 protein, mouse
• Nuclear Proteins
• Recombinant Proteins
• YWHAZ protein, human
• alpha-Fetoproteins
• Nucleophosmin
• MDM2 protein, human
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2

Topics

• 14-3-3 Proteins (immunology, metabolism)
• Aged
• Autoantibodies (blood, immunology)
• Biomarkers, Tumor (blood)
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (diagnosis, metabolism)
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
• Female
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Immunologic Tests
• Liver Diseases (metabolism)
• Liver Neoplasms (diagnosis, metabolism)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Nuclear Proteins (immunology, metabolism)
• Nucleophosmin
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 (immunology, metabolism)
• Recombinant Proteins (metabolism)
• Retrospective Studies
• alpha-Fetoproteins (immunology, metabolism)