Des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin identified by P-11 and P-16 antibodies reflects prognosis for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS:

Serum des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) is an established tumor marker in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which can be identified by using MU-3 antibody. The MU-3 antibody mainly reacts with the 9-10 glutamic acid residues of DCP (conventional DCP). Since other variants of DCP with fewer glutamic acid residues can be detected using P-11 and P-16 antibodies (code name: NX-PVKA), we examined the clinical characteristics associated with NX-PVKA, and whether NX-PVKA is a useful measure in HCC patients.

METHODS:

Participants comprised 197 HCC patients admitted to our hospital between 2001 and 2010. NX-PVKA, conventional DCP, alpha-fetoprotein, and L3 fraction of alpha-fetoprotein were measured prior to initiation of HCC treatment.

RESULTS:

Of the tumor markers assessed, NX-PVKA was the only significant predictor of prognosis (hazard ratio, 81.32; P < 0.0001). Patients with NX-PVKA level ≥ 100 mAU/mL showed significantly lower survival rates (P < 0.0001). NX-PVKA level was also significantly associated with platelet count, prothrombin time, C-reactive protein, sex, maximum tumor size, number of nodules, and portal venous invasion by HCC. Finally, using NX-PVKA level and other clinical parameters, we established a prognostic model to estimate patient survival time.

CONCLUSIONS:

NX-PVKA offers the best marker of tumor prognosis among HCC patients, and is strongly associated with tumor factors and hepatic functional reserve. NX-PVKA could be useful for clinical evaluation of tumor severity, as well as the estimated duration of survival among patients with HCC.

• Authors: Satoru Takeji, Masashi Hirooka, Yohei Koizumi, Yoshio Tokumoto, Masanori Abe, Yoshio Ikeda, Seijin Nadano, Yoichi Hiasa, Morikazu Onji
• Journal: Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology (J Gastroenterol Hepatol) Vol. 28 Issue 4 Pg. 671-7 (Apr 2013) ISSN: 1440-1746 [Electronic] Australia
• PMID: 23215762 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2012 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Chemical References

• Autoantibodies
• Biomarkers
• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Protein Precursors
• acarboxyprothrombin
• Prothrombin

Topics

• Aged
• Autoantibodies (blood)
• Biomarkers
• Biomarkers, Tumor (immunology)
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (blood, mortality)
• Female
• Humans
• Liver Neoplasms (blood, mortality)
• Luminescent Measurements
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Prognosis
• Proportional Hazards Models
• Protein Precursors (immunology)
• Prothrombin (immunology)
• Retrospective Studies
• Survival Rate