title: Prediction of the development of hepato-cellular-carcinoma in patients with liver cirrhosis by the serial determinations of serum alpha-L-fucosidase activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluation of the usefulness of the serial determinations of serum alpha-L-fucosidase (AFU) activity for prediction of the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum AFU activity was determined monthly for 42 months in 73 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  HCC was diagnosed in 27 patients by means of ultrasonography during this observation period. In 23 (85%) of the 27 patients, serum AFU activity was found to exceed 700 nmole/ml/h during the LC stage. HCC developed within a few years in 23 (82%) of 28 LC patients with AFU activity exceeding 700 nmole/ml/h, in contrast, it developed in only 4 (9%) of 45 LC patients with AFU activity below 700 nmole/ml/h. AFU activity was already elevated in 23 (85%) of 27 patients at least 6 months before the detection of HCC by ultrasonography.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is conceivable that the development of HCC can be predicted by means of serial determinations of serum AFU activity in patients with LC.
authors.affiliation: Toubu Chiiki Hospital, Tokyo.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishizuka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gotoh
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsubaki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohkubo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arakawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okano
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D005644:alpha-L-Fucosidase / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D005644:alpha-L-Fucosidase