title: Fucosylated fraction of alpha-fetoprotein as a serological marker of early hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate the fucosylated fraction of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3) as a marker of early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  We diagnosed early HCC in 15 patients (15 tumors) by gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and confirmed the diagnoses using new criteria of the International Consensus Group for Hepatocellular Neoplasia. We measured the AFP-L3%, simultaneously, using a liquid-phase binding assay-electrokinetic analyte transport assay. We compared the AFP-L3% levels between patients with early HCC and a control cohort with benign liver disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The AFP-L3% levels were higher in patients with early HCC than in the controls (4.1%±4.0% vs. 2.0%±3.5%, p=0.024). The sensitivity and specificity with AFP-L3% were 33.3% and 78.7% at a cut-off value of 5%, and 20.0% and 88.0% at a cut-off value of 7%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AFP-L3% is a suitable serological marker for evaluating early HCC.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, 4-57 Urafune-cho, Minami-ku, Yokohama 232-0024, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moriya
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.forename: Kazushi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Numata
authors.forename: Akito
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nozaki
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimoyama
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Katsuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D005643:Fucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D005643:Fucose