title: Significance of des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin production in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Serum des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) is commonly used to detect hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This review focuses on the clinical features of DCP-positive HCC and the molecular function of DCP in HCC. DCP-positive HCC demonstrates more aggressive clinicopathological features than DCP-negative HCC. Analysis of the biological effects of DCP revealed that DCP acts as a growth factor in both an autocrine and paracrine manner. DCP stimulates HCC cell proliferation through the Met-Janus kinase 1-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling pathway, whereas for vascular endothelial cells, it stimulates cell proliferation and migration through the kinase insert domain receptor-phospholipase C-gamma-mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujikawa
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shiraha
authors.forename: Kazuhide
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D019735:Carbon-Carbon Ligases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000378:metabolism*; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D011498:Protein Precursors; C008208:acarboxyprothrombin; D011516:Prothrombin; D019735:Carbon-Carbon Ligases; C020660:glutamyl carboxylase