Key Words
Chronic hepatitis C • Hepatocellular carcinoma • Vimentin • LaminB1 • Antiku 86
Abstract
Background/Aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common malignancy and
most frequently develops in patients with cirrhosis. Surveillance strategies are recommended
in high-risk groups because early detection of small lesions improves the likelihood of
curative treatment. This study investigated the prospective clinical significance of serum levels
of anti-Ku86 and plasma levels of lamin B1and vimentin as early markers of HCC. Methods:
We recruited 74 patients at Assiut University Hospital—37 with HCC and 37 with chronic
liver disease (liver cirrhosis patients)—and 36 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Lamin
B1 and vimentin mRNA expression levels were evaluated by reverse transcription-PCR and
serum levels of anti-Ku86 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results:
Compared with liver disease patients and controls, HCC patients showed higher levels of lamin
B1 mRNA (sensitivity, 96%; specificity, 65%), vimentin mRNA (sensitivity, 94%; specificity, 92%),
and anti-Ku86 (sensitivity, 94%; specificity, 80%). LaminB1 levels were significantly higher in
patients with a tumor size < 2 cm than in patients with tumors 2–5 cm and >5cm in size. Lamin
B1 had significant positive correlations with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (P=0.034) and anti-Ku86
(P=0.002). Receiver operating characteristic curves for differentiating HCCfrom liver cirrhosis
revealed a higher area under the curve(AUC).for vimentin than for AFP, lamin B1, and anti-Ku86
for the diagnosis of HCC (P<0.001). Conclusion: Circulating levels of anti-Ku86, lamin B1,and
vimentin might be potential surrogate markers of HCC, either alone or in combination with
AFP. However, independent and discriminative serological biomarkers with higher sensitivity
and specificity are still needed for the early detection of HCC.