title: Improvement of liver cancer detection with simultaneous assessment of circulating levels of free alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and AFP-IgM complexes.
abstract: We assessed the presence of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) complexed with IgM (AFP-IgM IC) in serum of patients affected by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis as well as in healthy subjects by means of a dedicated ELISA assay. The amount of AFP-IgM IC was expressed in arbitrary units (AU) on a reference standard curve. Free AFP (FAFP) levels were determined in parallel in each sample by means of an automated immunoassay system. The mean serum concentration of AFP-IgM IC was significantly higher in HCC patients (mean +/- SD: 1378.3 +/- 2935.7 AU/mL) than in cirrhotic patients (129.8 +/- 261.4 AU/mL) and in patients with chronic hepatitis (80.9 +/- 168.9 AU/mL) (p < 0.01). HCC patients had FAFP values above the 20 ng/mL cutoff in 44% of cases (22/50) and AFP-IgM IC values above the 120 AU/mL cutoff in 60% of cases (30/50). The occurrence of the free and IgM-complexed form of circulating AFP did not overlap, and 82% of patients (41/50) were positive for at least one marker. The results indicate that AFP-IgM IC is a complementary serological marker to FAFP and that the combination of these biomarkers may be useful in the diagnosis of liver cancer.
authors.affiliation: XEPTAGEN S.p.A., Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beneduce
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Castaldi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tono
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gatta
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pontisso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fassina
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000097:blood; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins