title: Reappraisal of diagnostic significance of a hepatoma-specific band of serum gamma-glutamyl transferase.
abstract: The hepatoma-specific band of serum gamma-glutamyl transferase II (GGT II) and other three markers were evaluated in 77 patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC). The positive rate of GGT II (87%) was much higher than that of the increased alpha-fetoprotein (AFP greater than or equal to 400 ng/ml, 54.5%), the increased alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT greater than or equal to 400 mg/dl, 64.9%) and alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme I (ALP I, 13.0%). In patients with AFP less than 400 ng/ml, the positive rate of GGT II was 95.2%, higher than that of ALP I (22.8%) and AAT (60.0%). The positive rate of GGT II was positively correlated to the volume of PHC (r = 0.324, P less than 0.05), but even in patients with small PHC (less than or equal to 65 cm3), the positive rate of GGT II (78.6%) was higher than that of AFP (50.0%) and AAT (28.6%). The ALP I positivity was only seen in patients with larger PHC. Follow-up study showed that GGT II, like AFP, might occur before liver tumor could be detected by B-mode ultrasonography and computerized tomography. Therefore, GGT II is a valuable marker of PHC, especially in patients whose AFP was negative or slightly increased; GGT II may be useful for relatively early diagnosis of PHC.
authors.affiliation: Research Section of Digestive Diseases, Affiliated Hospital, Nantong Medical College.
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: X Y
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase