title: [Assay of decarboxy-prothrombin: its value in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma].
abstract: Serum decarboxy-prothrombin (DCP) was raised in 70.7% of histologically confirmed cases of hepatocellular carcinoma and, with alpha foetoprotein, constitutes a complementary biochemical marker for this disease. It is usually normal in other hepatic diseases but pathological values of DCP have been observed in a few cases of cirrhosis and in some pancreatic carcinomas with hepatic metastases. The differential diagnosis may be established by administering 20 mg of Vitamin K1 by slow intravenous injection: if the DCP remains pathological 15 days after Vitamin K1 the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma is very probable. On the other hand, if the DCP is normal a Vitamin K deficiency may be diagnosed.
authors.affiliation: Centre National de Transfusion Sanguine, Paris.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Soulier
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lefrère
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gozin
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011498:Protein Precursors; C008208:acarboxyprothrombin; D011516:Prothrombin
vernacular_title: Le dosage de la décarboxy-prothrombine: son intérêt dans le diagnostic des carcinomes hépatocellulaires.