title: Detection of MAGE-4 protein in the sera of patients with hepatitis-C virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma and liver cirrhosis.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine whether MAGE-4 protein is detectable in sera of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and other liver diseases. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed for detection of MAGE-4 protein in sera of liver disease patients, healthy men and women (control I) and those undergoing prostatic cancer screening (control II). MAGE-4 protein levels in sera of patients with hepatitis C virus-associated HCC (HCC-C) (n = 45, mean = 2.160 ng/ml) and HCV-associated cirrhosis (LC-C) (n = 55, 1.072 ng/ml) were significantly higher (P < 0.0001) than those of control I (0.327 ng/ml) or control II (0.394 ng/ml). MAGE-4 protein was positive in 21/45 (46.7%) HCC-C patients and 18/55 (32.7%) LC-C patients (cut-off, mean plus 2 SD in healthy controls) but in 0/12 (0%) hepatitis B virus-associated HCC (HCC-B) patients, 3/49 (6.1%) hepatitis B virus-associated LC (LC-B) patients, 4/47 (8.5%) alcoholic liver disease patients, and 1/49 (2.0%) controls. Serum MAGE-4 protein level may be useful as a marker for identification of LC-C patients suffering from HCC that is undetectable by presently available methods.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsuzurahara
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sata
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shichijo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kojiro
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanikawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Itoh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C095204:MAGEA4 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins