Serum carbohydrate-deficient transferrin in patients with nonalcoholic liver disease and with hepatocellular carcinoma.
Serum carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) is used as a reliable and specific marker of alcohol consumption. However, recent studies have shown false-positive CDT test results in nonalcoholic liver disease. We examined the clinical significance of serum CDT in nonalcoholic liver disease, especially hepatocellular carcinoma. Serum CDT was measured in 23 teetotallers, 56 patients with alcoholic liver disease, 84 patients with viral liver disease and 67 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, with an Axis %CDT radioimmunoassay kit, and the results were expressed as percentages of the total transferrin (%CDT). The mean serum %CDT value was increased 1.8-fold in alcoholic liver fibrosis and 3.8-fold in alcoholic liver cirrhosis compared with the teetotallers. The serum %CDT values in viral chronic hepatitis were similar to those of the teetotallers, and were increased 2.0-fold in viral liver cirrhosis. False-positive results were found in 10 (37%) of the 27 patients with viral liver cirrhosis. The mean serum %CDT value was increased 2.5-fold in hepatocellular carcinoma, and false-positive results were found in 31 (46%) of the 67 patients. The serum %CDT value was related to the severity of Child grade, the size of tumor and the grade of histological differentiation. These results suggest that the ability of serum CDT test to detect chronic alcoholism may be reduced in patients with nonalcoholic liver cirrhosis and those with hepatocellular carcinoma.
Murawaki
Y
Y
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Tottori University School of Medicine, Yonago, Japan.
Sugisaki
H
H
Yuasa
I
I
Kawasaki
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D014168:Transferrin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis
D015415:Biomarkers; D014168:Transferrin; C056759:carbohydrate-deficient transferrin