title: Wisteria floribunda agglutinin positive human Mac-2-binding protein as a predictor of hepatocellular carcinoma development in chronic hepatitis C patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA)-positive human Mac-2-binding protein (WFA(+) -M2BP) is a new glycol marker related to liver fibrosis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate WFA(+) -M2BP as a predictor of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case-control study included 14 patients with chronic hepatitis C who developed HCC and 52controls, matched for age, gender, and fibrosis stage. WFA(+) -M2BP was measured at biopsy and follow-up. Time zero was set at the date of liver biopsy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  WFA(+) -M2BP increased stepwise with progression of liver fibrosis (p < 0.001). Cumulative incidence of HCC development was significantly higher in patients with WFA(+) -M2BP ≥4.2 (p < 0.001) or in those with time-course changes in WFA(+) -M2BP (ΔWFA(+) -M2BP/year) ≥0.3 (p = 0.03). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that WFA(+) -M2BP ≥4.2 [hazard ratio (HR): 4.1, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1-15, p = 0.04], ΔWFA(+) -M2BP/year ≥0.3 (HR: 5.5, 95% CI: 1.5-19, p = 0.008), and AFP ≥10 ng/ml (HR: 4.7, 95% CI: 1.1-19, p = 0.03) were independent predictive factors of HCC development. Based on these data, we developed a simple scoring system to predict HCC development using these three factors. Using these scores, patients were classified into four groups; cumulative incidence of HCC development significantly increased with increasing scores (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  WFA(+) -M2BP measurements and time-course changes in WFA(+) -M2BP can be used to identify patients at high risk of HCC development. Real-time monitoring of WFA(+) -M2BP can be a novel predictor of HCC development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuharu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tamaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurosaki
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Medical Glycoscience, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuno
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korenaga
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Medical Glycoscience, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Togayachi
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Medical Glycoscience, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gotoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Natsuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakakuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takada
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shuya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hosokawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Itakura
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizokami
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Medical Glycoscience, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Narimatsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Namiki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Izumi
keywords: WFA+-M2BP; chronic hepatitis C; hepatocellular carcinoma; liver fibrosis