title: Elevated serum levels of Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive human Mac-2 binding protein predict the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis C patients.
abstract: The Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive human Mac-2-binding protein (WFA+-M2BP) was recently shown to be a liver fibrosis glycobiomarker with a unique fibrosis-related glycoalteration. We evaluated the ability of WFA+-M2BP to predict the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients who were infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). A total of 707 patients who had been admitted to our hospital with chronic HCV infection without other potential risk factors were evaluated to determine the ability of WFA+-M2BP to predict the development of HCC; factors evaluated included age, sex, viral load, genotypes, fibrosis stage, aspartate and alanine aminotransferase levels, bilirubin, albumin, platelet count, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), WFA+-M2BP, and the response to interferon (IFN) therapy. Serum WFA+-M2BP levels were significantly increased according to the progression of liver fibrosis stage (P<0.001). In each distinctive stage of fibrosis (F0-F1, F2, F3, and F4), the risk of development of HCC was increased according to the elevation of WFA+-M2BP. Multivariate analysis identified age>57 years, F4, AFP>20 ng/mL, WFA+-M2BP ≥4, and WFA+-M2BP 1-4 as well as the response to IFN (no therapy vs. sustained virological response) as independent risk factors for the development of HCC. The time-dependent areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve demonstrated that the WFA+-M2BP assay predicted the development of HCC with higher diagnostic accuracy than AFP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  WFA+-M2BP can be applied as a useful surrogate marker for the risk of HCC development, in addition to liver biopsy.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization, Nagasaki Medical Center, Ōmura, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: Masakuni
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tateyama
authors.forename: Seigo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abiru
authors.forename: Atsumasa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Komori
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagaoka
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saeki
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Ryu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Shigemune
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bekki
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kugiyama
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyazoe
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuno
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korenaga
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Togayachi
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ocho
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizokami
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Narimatsu
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yatsuhashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D037121:Plant Lectins; D034781:Receptors, N-Acetylglucosamine; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D037121:Plant Lectins; D034781:Receptors, N-Acetylglucosamine; C114782:TAA90K protein, human; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; C040129:wisteria lectin