Usefulness of measurement of Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of alpha-fetoprotein as a marker of prognosis and recurrence of small hepatocellular carcinoma.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3%) is a recently described marker of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and its usefulness has been demonstrated in many studies. We evaluated the usefulness of serial measurement of AFP-L3% as a marker of prognosis and recurrence after treatment of small HCC.

METHODS:

AFP-L3% was measured before and after initial treatment in 60 patients with small HCC (maximum diameter < or = 2 cm). AFP-L3% was taken as the ratio of AFP-L3 to total AFP and multiplied by 100%, and levels > or = 10% were considered positive. Outcomes and recurrence were compared between patients AFP-L3%-negative after initial treatment (Group A, n = 43) and patients who were AFP-L3%-positive after initial treatment (Group B, n = 17).

RESULTS:

Before treatment, AFP-L3% was positive in 14 (23.3%) of the 60 patients. The cumulative survival rate of Group A was significantly longer (p = 0.0091) than that of Group B. The recurrence rate was significantly higher in Group B (p = 0.0104) than in Group A. When recurrence was limited to intrahepatic metastasis, the recurrence rate was significantly higher in Group B (p = 0.0064). However, the recurrence rate of multicentric occurrence did not differ significantly between Groups A and B.

CONCLUSIONS:

Measurement of AFP-L3% after treatment may be useful for understanding prognosis and recurrence of HCC.

• Authors: K Hayashi, T Kumada, S Nakano, I Takeda, K Sugiyama, S Kiriyama, Y Sone, A Miyata, H Shimizu, S Satomura
• Journal: The American journal of gastroenterology (Am J Gastroenterol) Vol. 94 Issue 10 Pg. 3028-33 (Oct 1999) ISSN: 0002-9270 [Print] United States
• PMID: 10520864 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Lectins
• Plant Lectins
• alpha-Fetoproteins
• lentil lectin

Topics

• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (diagnosis, mortality, secondary)
• Fabaceae
• Female
• Humans
• Lectins
• Liver Neoplasms (diagnosis, mortality)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Multivariate Analysis
• Neoplasm Recurrence, Local (diagnosis)
• Plant Lectins
• Plants, Medicinal
• Prognosis
• Survival Rate
• alpha-Fetoproteins (analysis)