title: Predictive value of alpha-fetoprotein in the long-term risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis B virus infection--results from a clinic-based longitudinal cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although serum level of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) has long been used to complement imaging tests in the screening and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), whether it can be used as a predictive marker of long-term risk for developing HCC in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) has not been extensively evaluated and thus remains controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively conducted a clinic-based longitudinal cohort study including 617 Korean American patients with HBV who had been followed for up to 22 years (median follow-up time, 6.2 years) to evaluate the association between baseline serum AFP level and the long-term risk of HCC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median baseline AFP value of these patients was 3.8 ng/ml. Compared to patients with lower-than-median AFP value, those with higher-than-median baseline serum AFP had a significantly increased risk of developing HCC with a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.73 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25-5.99), independent of other major HCC risk factors. In addition, we calculated the cumulative incidence of HCC during different years of follow-up time by baseline serum AFP, and found that the cumulative incidence of HCC was significantly higher in HBV patients with high baseline serum AFP compared to those with low baseline serum AFP in each of the five follow-up time periods examined.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicated that AFP was a strong independent prospective predictor of long-term HCC risk in high-risk HBV patients. More targeted prevention and early detection of HCC may be considered for these patients.
authors.affiliation: Liver Disease Prevention Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
authors.forename: Hie-Won
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Hann
authors.forename: Xiaoying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Ronald E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Hann
authors.forename: Shaogui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Su Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Au
authors.forename: Jinliang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Hushan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins