title: Elevation of serum MAGE-4 protein levels and prediction of hepatocellular carcinogenesis in patients with liver cirrhosis.
abstract: Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is clinically important because advanced HCC limits treatment modalities for the cancer. We have previously reported that serum levels of MAGE-4 protein are strongly associated with the development of HCC. The present study was designed to determine whether elevated serum MAGE-4 protein levels can predict hepatocellular carcinogenesis in patients with liver cirrhosis before clinical diagnosis. Among 62 cirrhotic patients, 28 patients were diagnosed with HCC during the follow-up period. The levels of MAGE-4 protein and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were significantly elevated in cirrhotic patients with HCC. Univariate and multivariate analyses suggest that elevated serum MAGE-4 protein is more significant than AFP. Importantly, retrospective analysis of prefrozen sera of cirrhotic patients revealed a transient or continuous elevation of serum MAGE-4 protein levels in 14 of 28 cirrhotic patients with HCC (50%) before clinical diagnosis. In contrast, elevated serum MAGE-4 protein levels were observed in 3 of 33 cirrhotic patients without HCC (9%), and in 2 of 34 hepatitic patients (6%). These results indicate that elevated serum MAGE-4 protein levels can be a predictive marker of hepatocellular carcinogenesis in cirrhotic patients, thereby enabling us to treat patients at an earlier stage.
authors: Second Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan.
authors: Shigeru
authors: S
authors: Yutani
authors: Masatoshi
authors: M
authors: Tanaka
authors: Hajime
authors: H
authors: Mutsumoto
authors: Nobue
authors: N
authors: Imai
authors: Michio
authors: M
authors: Sata
authors: Shigeki
authors: S
authors: Shichijo
authors: Mamoru
authors: M
authors: Harada
authors: Kyogo
authors: K
authors: Itoh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000737:chemistry; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000150:complications; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C095204:MAGEA4 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins