title: Tumour markers and hepatitis C virus infection in Nigerian patients with liver diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is very important and determination of serum levels of tumour markers in patients with chronic liver diseases could be of immense contribution to their management.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two adult Nigerian subjects consisting of 14 healthy subjects (Controls) and 28 patients with primary liver mass (es) and histological diagnoses of liver cirrhosis (LC) +/- chronic active hepatitis (CAH) and hepatocellular carcinoma +/- LC were studied. Their blood samples were assayed for Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg), antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV), alkaline phosphatase (AP), Aphafeotoprotein (AFP) and Ferritin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients had HCC (10) HCC+LC(4), LC+CAH (2) and LC (12). Serum ferritin> 700ng/ml, AP> 375IU/ml and AFP>200IU/ml were detected in 32%, 11% and 32% of the patients respectively with corresponding specificities of 100%, 86% and 100%. Elevated serum levels of AFP and ferritin were found in patients with HCC +/- LC while raised serum AP occurred in those having PHCC without LC. Only combination of either AFP or ferritin to AP gave significant increase in the diagnostic yield of HCC among the patients than the use of only AR Elevated levels of serum AFP correlated with both HBV and HCV while raised serum levels of ferritin were associated with only with HBV CONCLUSION: Although combination of the tumour markers gave a higher diagnostic yield for HCC among Nigerian patients, serum AFP > 200IU/ml seems the best tumour marker in the diagnosis of PHCC among the patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan/University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. soola@comui.edu.ng
authors.forename: O S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Ola
authors.forename: O J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Ogunbiyi
authors.forename: O D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Olaleye
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Ayoola
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D005293:Ferritins; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase