title: Immunohistochemical studies of PIVKA-II in hepatocellular carcinoma by indirect immunofluorescence.
abstract: Tissue PIVKA-II was examined in 32 hepatocellular carcinomas and 2 metastatic liver tumors using indirect immunofluorescence, and the results were compared with the size, histological grading and serum PIVKA-II level. The specificity of this method was confirmed by the disappearance of reactivity in PLC/PRF/5 cells after the addition of vitamin K to the culture medium. Positive PIVKA-II staining was observed as a clustered or a single cell pattern only in the HCC nodules, but not in the surrounding cirrhotic tissue. PIVKA-II staining was observed in all HCC groups regardless of histological grade. There was no relationship between PIVKA-II staining and the size of HCC. PIVKA-II was detected immunohistochemically even in small HCC of patients whose plasma PIVKA-II levels were below the detection limit. These results suggest that PIVKA-II production is a specific phenotype of HCC regardless of its histological grading and demonstrate that this immunofluorescent PIVKA-II staining is more sensitive and useful than plasma PIVKA-II assay for the diagnosis of HCC.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kuwahara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nouso
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuji
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000032:analysis*; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000032:analysis*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011498:Protein Precursors; C008208:acarboxyprothrombin; D011516:Prothrombin