title: [Clinical usefulness of lectin-reactive fraction of alpha-fetoprotein in hepatocellular carcinoma].
abstract: Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is well known as a tumor marker of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). AFP shows micro heterogeneity because of a structural variance in its sugar chain, and the sugar chain obtained from HCC patients has a high affinity to lectins such as Lens culinaris agglutinin. The lens culinaris agglutinin A-reactive fraction of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3) was detected by a sensitive method using lectin-affinity electrophoresis coupled with antibody-affinity blotting. Of 62 HCC patients examined before initial therapy, 23 patients (37.1%) had an AFP-L3 level greater than 15%. In contrast, none of the patients with liver cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis tested were positive for AFP-L3. Seven (26.9%) of 26 patients with small HCC less than 2 cm in diameter measured on ultrasonography or computed tomography showed elevated AFP-L3 levels. Because there was no correlation observed between AFP-L3 and PIVKA-II, the combined measurement of these two complementary markers appeared to be useful in the diagnosis of HCC. When the results of both assays were combined, 34 (54.8%) of the 62 patients with untreated HCC showed elevated levels of one or both markers. The use of both markers together with imaging modalities during regular follow-up of chronic liver disease patients who are at high risk for HCC might be of great benefit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Kobe City General Hospital.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oita
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakizono
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kasakura
mesh_terms: D000915:Antibody Affinity; D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004586:Electrophoresis; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000032:analysis; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000032:analysis; D012372:ROC Curve; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D037102:Lectins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; C008208:acarboxyprothrombin; D011516:Prothrombin