title: Des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and liver cirrhosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To ascertain serum and tissue expression of des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver cirrhosis and clarify the relationship between DCP expression and prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression of DCP in tissues was evaluated with immunohistochemical staining using anti-DCP antibody in 74 patients with a single primary HCC nodule and liver cirrhosis. Their serum DCP levels were determined using an enzyme immunoassay with a double antibody sandwich system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive DCP expression in cancerous and non-cancerous tissues was related to a worse prognosis for patients with HCC and liver cirrhosis. The combined evaluation of tissue DCP expression and serum DCP level showed that prognosis was the worst for patients with positive tissue DCP expression and a high serum DCP level. Univariate analysis indicated that a lower 5-year survival rate was significantly correlated with positive tissue DCP expression, a high serum DCP level and the combined factor of positive tissue DCP expression and a high serum DCP level. Multivariate analysis indicated that the combined factor of positive tissue DCP expression and a high serum DCP level was a significant prognostic factor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combined evaluation of tissue DCP expression and serum DCP level is more useful than either factor alone in predicting prognosis for patients with HCC and liver cirrhosis.
authors: Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery Division, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Yoshinori
authors: Y
authors: Inagaki
authors: Huan Li
authors: HL
authors: Xu
authors: Kiyoshi
authors: K
authors: Hasegawa
authors: Taku
authors: T
authors: Aoki
authors: Yoshifumi
authors: Y
authors: Beck
authors: Yasuhiko
authors: Y
authors: Sugawara
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Tang
authors: Norihiro
authors: N
authors: Kokudo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000378:metabolism*; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011498:Protein Precursors; C008208:acarboxyprothrombin; D011516:Prothrombin