1
|
Zhu C, Xiao H, Jiang X, Tong R, Guan J. Prognostic Biomarker DDOST and Its Correlation With Immune Infiltrates in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Genet 2022; 12:819520. [PMID: 35173766 PMCID: PMC8841838 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.819520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Dolichyl-diphosphooligosaccharide–protein glycosyltransferase non-catalytic subunit (DDOST) is an important enzyme in the process of high-mannose oligosaccharide transferring in cells. Increasing DDOST expression is associated with impairing liver function and the increase of hepatic fibrosis degrees, hence exacerbating the liver injury. However, the relation between DDOST and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been revealed yet. Method: In this study, we evaluated the prognostic value of DDOST in HCC based on data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The relationship between DDOST expression and clinical-pathologic features was evaluated by logistic regression, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Kruskal–Wallis test. Prognosis-related factors of HCC including DDOST were evaluated by univariate and multivariate Cox regression and the Kaplan–Meier method. DDOST-related key pathways were identified by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). The correlations between DDOST and cancer immune infiltrates were investigated by the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) of TCGA data. Results: High DDOST expression was associated with poorer overall survival and disease-specific survival of HCC patients. GSEA suggested that DDOST is closely correlated with cell cycle and immune response via the PPAR signaling pathway. ssGSEA indicated that DDOST expression was positively correlated with the infiltrating levels of Th2 cells and negatively correlated with the infiltration levels of cytotoxic cells. Conclusion: All those findings indicated that DDOST was correlated with prognosis and immune infiltration in HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Changyu Zhu
- Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Hua Xiao
- Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaolei Jiang
- Department of Pharmacy, Gansu Provincial Hospital of TCM, Lanzhou, China
| | - Rongsheng Tong
- Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Rongsheng Tong, ; Jianmei Guan,
| | - Jianmei Guan
- Central Sterile Supply Department, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Rongsheng Tong, ; Jianmei Guan,
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Rao QW, Zhang SL, Guo MZ, Yuan FF, Sun JL, Qi F, Wang LS, Yang BW, Xia JL. Sulfiredoxin-1 is a promising novel prognostic biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Med 2020; 9:8318-8332. [PMID: 32955798 PMCID: PMC7666720 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.3430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying novel prognostic biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and then, develop an effective individualized treatment strategy remain extremely warranted. The prognostic role of sulfiredoxin-1(SRXN1), an antioxidant enzyme, remains unknown in HCC. This study aimed to explore the prognostic implications of SRXN1 in HCC patients after partial hepatectomy. The expression of SRXN1 in HCC and normal tissue were analyzed using the patients from the public databases and Zhongshan Hospital. The Cox regression, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves were performed to identify the predictive role of SRXN1 expression on HCC patients. A prognostic nomogram based on SRXN1 expression was constructed and validated to further confirm the predictive power of SRXN1 as a prognostic biomarker. Finally, functional enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction network analysis of SRXN1 and its associated genes were conducted. The results showed that SRXN1 was upregulated in HCC samples compared with the normal liver tissues. Patients with SRXN1 upregulation had shorter survival time. SRXN1 overexpression was significantly correlated with advanced clinicopathological parameters. The prognostic nomogram based on SRXN1 expression was proved to be more accurate than routine staging systems for the prediction of overall survival. Protein-protein interaction network analysis demonstrated the first neighbor genes of SRXN1 mainly participated in response to oxidative stress. In brief, SRXN1 could be a prognostic biomarker for the management of HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qian-Wen Rao
- Minhang Branch, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shi-Long Zhang
- Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Branch, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Meng-Zhou Guo
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei-Fei Yuan
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jia-Lei Sun
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Qi
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li-Shun Wang
- Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Branch, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bi-Wei Yang
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing-Lin Xia
- Minhang Branch, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Han M, Yang G, Lin Q, Yang Y, Zhang H, Su Y. Determination of Endogenous Bufalin in Serum of Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on HPLC-MS/MS. Front Oncol 2020; 9:1572. [PMID: 32039033 PMCID: PMC6989541 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.01572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Bufalin is a cardiotonic steroid and a key active ingredient of the Chinese medicine ChanSu. It has significant anti-tumor activity against many malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Previous studies have shown that human bodies contain an endogenous bufalin-like substance. This study aimed to confirm whether the endogenous bufalin-like substances is bufalin and further detect the differences between HCC and control groups of endogenous bufalin concentration by the high-performance liquid chromatography coupled tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The results confirmed the endogenous bufalin-like substance is bufalin. Totally, 227 serum samples were collected: 54 from HCC patients and 173 from healthy volunteers constituting a control group. Both the test group and the control group contained bufalin in serum, revealing that bufalin is indeed an endogenous substance. The bufalin concentration was 1.3 nM in HCC patients and 5.7 nM in normal people (P < 0.0001). These results indicate that human bodies contain endogenous bufalin, and it may be negatively correlated with the incidence of HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mengfei Han
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Geliang Yang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, The Second Medical Centre, Chinese People Liberation Army General Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Lin
- Fuzhou Traditional Chinese Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yanlong Yang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huiqing Zhang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yonghua Su
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Dermatology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ji J, Chen H, Liu XP, Wang YH, Luo CL, Zhang WW, Xie W, Wang FB. A miRNA Combination as Promising Biomarker for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Diagnosis: A Study Based on Bioinformatics Analysis. J Cancer 2018; 9:3435-3446. [PMID: 30310500 PMCID: PMC6171011 DOI: 10.7150/jca.26101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: miRNAs dysregulate in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), showing promise for diagnostic biomarkers which may be found through exploration of differentially expressed miRNAs when comparing HCC and normal liver tissues. Materials and Methods: In the present research, candidate miRNAs were selected and verified using screening dataset GSE12717 and training dataset GSE10694, respectively. A miRNA combination was constructed using stepwise logistic regression analysis and validated using two datasets GSE74618 and TCGA. Target genes of miRNAs in the combination were obtained using a miRNA target gene prediction database. Functional analysis was conducted using an online tool DAVID. We also analyzed the mRNA-Seq data of project LIHC from TCGA to identify the hub target genes of the miRNAs. Results: A miRNA combination, which is composed of hsa-miR-221 and hsa-miR-29c was defined in this study. The miRNA combination is more effective in discriminating HCC patients from normal individuals than individual miRNAs. Additionally, the combined miRNAs showed a lower misdiagnosis rate than AFP in HCC diagnosis. In terms of the functional analysis, a total of 27 target genes of hsa-miR-221 and 96 target genes of hsa-miR-29c were obtained. Among which, INSIG1 was the common target of the two miRNAs. It was also found that both previously mentioned miRNAs played important roles in the regulation of transcription, cell proliferation, and involvement in cancer-related pathways. Lastly, 2 hub target genes of hsa-miR-221 and 16 hub target genes of hsa-miR-29c were obtained. Conclusion: We established a miRNA combination as a promising tool for HCC diagnosis, and the target genes we predicted provide possible points of penetration for researching these two miRNAs in HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jia Ji
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Pathology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Ping Liu
- Center for Evidence-Based and Translational Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China
| | - Yu-Hui Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China
| | - Chang-Liang Luo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China
| | - Wu-Wen Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China
| | - Wen Xie
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China
| | - Fu-Bing Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zhu HR, Huang RZ, Yu XN, Shi X, Bilegsaikhan E, Guo HY, Song GQ, Weng SQ, Dong L, Janssen HL, Shen XZ, Zhu JM. Microarray Expression Profiling of microRNAs Reveals Potential Biomarkers for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. TOHOKU J EXP MED 2018; 245:89-98. [DOI: 10.1620/tjem.245.89] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Rong Zhu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University
| | - Ren-Zheng Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University
| | - Xiang-Nan Yu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University
| | - Xuan Shi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University
| | | | - Hong-Ying Guo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University
| | - Guang-Qi Song
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University
| | - Shu-Qiang Weng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University
| | - Ling Dong
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University
| | - Harry L.A. Janssen
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of Toronto and University Health Network
| | - Xi-Zhong Shen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University
- Shanghai Institute of Liver Disease
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University
| | - Ji-Min Zhu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wang K, Guo WX, Li N, Gao CF, Shi J, Tang YF, Shen F, Wu MC, Liu SR, Cheng SQ. Serum LncRNAs Profiles Serve as Novel Potential Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of HBV-Positive Hepatocellular Carcinoma. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0144934. [PMID: 26674525 PMCID: PMC4684503 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy that has a poor prognosis because there is lack of methods for early diagnosis. We aimed to utilize two serum long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), uc001ncr and AX800134, to diagnose hepatitis B virus (HBV)–positive HCC. Methods lncRNA microarrays were utilized to measure the differential expression of lncRNAs between tumor tissues and corresponding non-tumor tissues in HBV-positive hapatocellular carcinoma. uc001ncr and AX800134 were selected as candidate lncRNAs and detected in three independent cohorts containing a total of 684 participants (healthy individuals and chronic HBV patients and HBV-positive HCC patients) who were recruited between March 2011 and December 2012. A logistic regression model was constructed using a training cohort (n = 353) and validated using an independent cohort (n = 181). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was utilized to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy. Results We determined that a panel based on the expression of uc001ncr and AX800134 accurately diagnosed HBV-positive HCC (AUC values of 0.9494 and 0.9491 for the training and validation cohorts, respectively). The diagnostic performance of the panel remained high in patients with AFP≤400 ng/ml (AUC values of 0.9371 and 0.9527 for the training and validation cohorts, respectively). The panel also diagnosed early HCC (AUC values of 0.9450 and 0.9564 for the training and validation cohorts, respectively). Conclusion Our results indicated that the serum expression of uc001ncr and AX800134 has potential as novel potential biomarker for the diagnosis of HCC, especially in patients with AFP≤400 ng/ml or early-stage disease (BCLC 0+A).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kang Wang
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei xing Guo
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Nan Li
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chun fang Gao
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Shi
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu fu Tang
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Shen
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Meng chao Wu
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shan rong Liu
- Changhai Hospital, the Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail: (SRL); (SQC)
| | - Shu qun Cheng
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail: (SRL); (SQC)
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered to be a fatal disease because of its late diagnosis, underlying liver disease, and refractoriness to systemic treatments. Biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity that are minimally invasive, reproducible, and easily available have important clinical utility for early diagnosis, prognostication, and pharmacodynamics evaluation. Until now, most of the circulating HCC biomarkers used in clinical practice were protein molecules. However, these biomarkers often had low sensitivity and specificity. In the past decade, circulating cell-free nucleic acids (cfNAs) have been extensively studied. We review the studies that evaluated cfNAs as circulating HCC biomarkers and discuss recent advances with regard to their diagnostic and prognostic significance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Zhou J, Yu L, Gao X, Hu J, Wang J, Dai Z, Wang JF, Zhang Z, Lu S, Huang X, Wang Z, Qiu S, Wang X, Yang G, Sun H, Tang Z, Wu Y, Zhu H, Fan J. Plasma microRNA panel to diagnose hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma. J Clin Oncol 2011; 29:4781-8. [PMID: 22105822 DOI: 10.1200/jco.2011.38.2697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 469] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE More than 60% of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) do not receive curative therapy as a result of late clinical presentation and diagnosis. We aimed to identify plasma microRNAs for diagnosing hepatitis B virus (HBV) -related HCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS Plasma microRNA expression was investigated with three independent cohorts including 934 participants (healthy, chronic hepatitis B, cirrhosis, and HBV-related HCC), recruited between August 2008 and June 2010. First, we used microarray to screen 723 microRNAs in 137 plasma samples for diagnosing HCC. Quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay was then applied to evaluate the expression of selected microRNAs. A logistic regression model was constructed using a training cohort (n = 407) and then validated using an independent cohort (n = 390). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate diagnostic accuracy. RESULTS We identified a microRNA panel (miR-122, miR-192, miR-21, miR-223, miR-26a, miR-27a and miR-801) that provided a high diagnostic accuracy of HCC (AUC = 0.864 and 0.888 for training and validation data set, respectively). The satisfactory diagnostic performance of the microRNA panel persisted regardless of disease status (AUCs for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stages 0, A, B, and C were 0.888, 0.888, 0.901, and 0.881, respectively). The microRNA panel can also differentiate HCC from healthy (AUC = 0.941), chronic hepatitis B (AUC = 0.842), and cirrhosis (AUC = 0.884), respectively. CONCLUSION We found a plasma microRNA panel that has considerable clinical value in diagnosing early-stage HCC. Thus, patients who would have otherwise missed the curative treatment window can benefit from optimal therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhou
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, People's Republic of China
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
|
10
|
Eleftheriou N, Heathcote J, Thomas HC, Sherlock S. Serum alpha-fetoprotein levels in patients with acute and chronic liver disease. Relation to hepatocellular regeneration and development of primary liver cell carcinoma. J Clin Pathol 1977; 30:704-8. [PMID: 74380 PMCID: PMC476528 DOI: 10.1136/jcp.30.8.704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Using a radioimmunoassay technique serum alpha-fetoprotein could be detected in healthy adults in concentrations of less than 20 microgram/l. Of patients with acute, viral hepatitis 43% exhibited a transient rise of serum alpha-fetoprotein, the peak occurring eight to nine days after the maximum recorded serum aspartate transaminase activity. Patients with hepatic damage due to paracetamol poisoning were also shown to have transiently raised levels, the peak occurring earlier than in subjects with viral hepatitis. Six subjects with fatal fulminant hepatitis were studied; the three with the more protracted illness were noted to have increased levels before death. Twenty of 163 cases of chronic liver disease also had raised serum alpha-fetoprotein concentrations. In four, primary liver cell cancer developed; in two of these the serum alpha-fetoprotein levels rose progressively, and in two it remained raised but at low levels.
Collapse
|
11
|
Woodfield DG, Endo Y, Clarke C. Alpha fetoprotein in liver disease in Papua New Guinea. AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE 1976; 6:117-20. [PMID: 61751 DOI: 10.1111/j.1445-5994.1976.tb03302.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A radioimmunoassay method was used for the detection of alpha fetoprotein (AFP) in the sera of 112 Papua New Guinean patients who had undergone liver biopsy. Sera from 69 normal subjects and 20 hospital patients were also tested. Alpha fetoprotein was found to be elevated above normal levels in many of these subjects, but particularly in those suffering from viral hepatitis, cirrhosis and primary liver cell carcinoma (PLC). The highest values were found in patients with PLC. It is concluded that because of the elevation of AFP values in all these different types of liver disease the RIA test is not of great value in Papua New Guinea, except in the follow-up of some patients with cirrhosis who are at risk of developing PLC and in those who have undergone treatment for PLC.
Collapse
|
12
|
|
13
|
Abstract
Serum alpha-fetoprotein levels were measured serially by radioimmunoassay in 32 patients with acute viral hepatitis. With one exception, the levels were increased during the course of the illness. Raised concentrations of the protein occurred almost equally in patients with and without the hepatitis-B antigen. In the majority of patients the rise was modest but in seven levels were reached at which alpha-fetoprotein could be detected by immunodiffusion. Very high levels were more likely to occur in children. In eight patients the concentration increased as the serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) level, used as an index of hepatocyte damage, was returning to normal, a pattern which favoured increased synthesis of the protein during hepatocellular regeneration. In the remainder, the alpha-fetoprotein level paralleled that of SGPT, suggesting rather an acutephase reaction to liver injury.
Collapse
|