title: Serum Golgi protein 73 (GP73) is a diagnostic and prognostic marker of chronic HBV liver disease.
abstract: Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is the most commonly used marker of liver injury, but normal ALT levels are seen in a proportion of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients with severe liver injury. Golgi protein 73 (GP73) is a promising alternative marker of liver injury. This study assessed the relation between GP73 levels and liver disease severity, monitored the kinetic changes in GP73 levels in chronic HBV patients receiving entecavir (ETV) therapy, and investigated the potential diagnostic and prognostic values of serum GP73 as a new liver injury biomarker in chronic HBV infections. This study enrolled 1150 patients with chronic HBV infections, 200 of whom were retrospectively enrolled in this study after receiving 1 year of ETV treatment. GP73 expression in liver tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry. GP73 levels in single or serial serum samples were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that GP73 protein expression in the liver increased progressively with pathologic progression from nonexistent or mild hepatitis to severe hepatitis and cirrhosis during chronic HBV infection. Serum GP73 levels were positively correlated with the disease severity of chronic HBV infections (r = 0.58, P < 0.001). In patients with normal ALT levels, serum GP73 concentrations were significantly higher in patients with prominent hepatic inflammatory injury and fibrosis than in patients without hepatic inflammatory injury or fibrosis. Serum GP73 concentrations and GP73 protein expression were decreased in the liver tissues of patients whose ALT levels normalized after 1 year of ETV antiviral therapy. Changes in serum GP73 levels were closely associated with changes in liver injury severity, and, therefore, GP73 may be an effective new liver inflammatory injury biomarker, and could be useful for monitoring the prognosis of chronic HBV infectious patients with normal ALT levels.
authors: From the Clinical Liver Center (ZX, Liguan Liu, XP, HY, QL); Central Laboratory of Clinical Hepatology (KW, MW); and Department of Pathology (Lifei Liu), The 180th Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, Quanzhou, China.
authors: Zhengju
authors: Z
authors: Xu
authors: Liguan
authors: L
authors: Liu
authors: Xingnan
authors: X
authors: Pan
authors: Kaipeng
authors: K
authors: Wei
authors: Meijuan
authors: M
authors: Wei
authors: Lifei
authors: L
authors: Liu
authors: Huanwen
authors: H
authors: Yang
authors: Qian
authors: Q
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C410824:GOLM1 protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D000410:Alanine Transaminase