Usefulness of Measurement of Serum Des - gamma -Carboxy Prothrombin , Alpha - Fetoprotein and Anti - p53 Antibodies in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hwang, Eun Joo; Park, Tae Hee; Cho, Mong; Moon, Tae Yong; Lee, Eun Yup; Kim, Soon Ho

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) and alpha-FP have been used for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, anti-p53 antibodies have been detected in sera of the patients with cancer. The diagnostic significance of the combination assay of DCP, alpha-FP, and anti-p53 antibodies was evaluated in patients with HCC.
METHODS
For 78 cases of HCC, 17 cases of liver cirrhosis, 32 cases of chronic hepatitis, and 23 healthy controls, the serum levels of DCP, alpha-FP and anti-p53 antibodies were measured by enzyme immunoassay. Their sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were also assessed.
RESULTS
In patients with HCC, the sensitivity of DCP and alpha-FP was 52.9% and 66.7%, which were significantly higher than 7.7% of anti-p53 antibodies. In detecting HCC, the specificity of DCP, alpha-FP and anti-p53 antibodies was 91.8%, 89.8% and 98.0%, and their accuracy was 69.2%, 75.8% and 45.2%, respectively. No correlation was found among three tumor markers. The sensitivity and accuracy in the combination assay of DCP, alpha-FP and anti-p53, and in that of DCP and alpha-FP were higher than in assay of each tumor marker or other combination, especially in small sized HCC.
CONCLUSIONS
A combination assay of DCP, alpha-FP, and anti-p53 antibodies and a combination assay of DCP and alpha-FP are useful for diagnosis or early detection of HCC, but the diagnostic usefulness of anti-p53 antibodies is still uncertain because of its low sensitivity.