Measurement of des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin levels in cancer and non-cancer tissue in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
In a recent experiment, we discovered that liver tissue adjacent to HCC can also produce des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP). The goal of this study was to advance measurements of DCP levels in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and non-cancer tissues using an electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) and immunohistochemistry, and to assess their clinical significance. DCP levels in HCC tissues ranged from 0.7 to 209862.4 mAU/0.1 g tissue weight, with a median of 492.6 mAU/0.1 g. DCP levels in non-cancer tissues ranged from 0 to 2329.9 mAU/0.1 g tissue weight, with a median of 88.8 mAU/0.1 g. DCP levels in cell membranes were significantly higher than in the cytoplasm (p<0.001). DCP levels in HCC tissue were significantly higher than in non-cancer tissue (p<0.001). The logarithm of serum DCP levels correlated not only with that of DCP levels in HCC tissues (p=0.019), but also with that in non-cancer tissues (p=0.020), and the total DCP level of liver tissues (p=0.016). The logarithm of DCP levels in HCC tissues correlated with that of DCP levels in non-cancer tissues (p=0.011). DCP levels in HCC tissue with portal vein invasion were significantly greater than in HCC tissues without portal vein invasion (p=0.028). DCP levels in non-cancer tissues with intrahepatic metastatic lesions were significantly higher than in non-cancer tissues without intrahepatic metastatic lesions (p=0.023). Our results suggest that the origin of elevated serum DCP may lie not only in HCC tissue, but in non-cancer tissue. The existence of HCC may influence production of DCP in non-cancer tissue. Tissue DCP may be a prognostic factor, while increased DCP levels in non-cancer tissues may play an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis.
Yuan
Lian-Wen
LW
Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery Division, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.
Tang
Wei
W
Kokudo
Norihiro
N
Sugawara
Yasuhiko
Y
Karako
Hirona
H
Hasegawa
Kiyoshi
K
Aoki
Taku
T
Kyoden
Yusuke
Y
Deli
Geertu
G
Li
Yong-Guo
YG
Makuuchi
Masatoshi
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D015415:Biomarkers; D011498:Protein Precursors; C008208:acarboxyprothrombin; D011516:Prothrombin