[Correlation between serum alpha-fetoprotein variant levels in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and the presence of alpha-fetoprotein mRNA in the circulating blood].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) variant levels in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cancer cells disseminating through blood.


METHODS
Serum AFP variant levels were measured by crossed immunoaffino-electrophoresis in the presence of lectin before initial surgical treatment in HCC patients. Circulating tumor cells were simultaneously detected in pre-operative blood samples using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for AFP mRNA.


RESULTS
Forty-six HCC patients with serum AFP positive were studied. Serum AFP variant level > or 20% was showed in 37 patients, among whom there were 22 (59.5%) showing AFP mRNA positive. In contrast, the positive AFP mRNA expression was only observed in 2 out of 9 patients (22.2%) with AFP variant level<20% (x(2)=4.02, P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
In hepatocellular carcinoma patients, increased AFP variant levels are associated with a haematogenous spread of tumor cells.
Kang
Xiao-yan
XY
Department of Molecular Oncology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China.
Yin
Zheng-feng
ZF
Qian
Hai-hua
HH
Wu
Zong-di
ZD
Yu
Zi-xi
ZX
Wu
Meng-chao
MC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins