Background
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common worldwide cancer. α‑Fetoprotein (AFP) is a
routinely used biomarker for HCC diagnosis, but with reduced clinical applicability due to low
sensitivity and specificity. Dickkopf‑1 (DKK‑1) is vital in the differentiation, survival, apoptosis,
and cell death. DKK‑1 has a potential oncogenic role in carcinogenesis.
Aim
In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic and prognostic performance of serum DKK‑1, AFP,
and their combination in HCC.
Patient and methods
This study was done on 40 HCC patients, 24 liver cirrhosis patients, and 16 age‑matched
and sex‑matched healthy controls. The patients were selected from the Tropical Medicine and
Gastroenterology Department, Al‑Rajhi Liver Hospital.
Results
The optimum cutoff for DKK‑1 in HCC patients versus liver cirrhosis and control groups was
more than 331 pg/ml with a sensitivity of 80.0% and specificity of 87.5%. The optimum cutoff
for AFP was more than 8 IU/ml (sensitivity 77.5%, specificity 85.0%).The combination of the
two markers had the best sensitivity (92.5%) in the diagnosis of HCC patients.
Conclusion
DKK‑1 levels was significantly higher in newly diagnosed HCC patients than in the nonmalignant
control group. The combination of the two markers (DKK‑1 and AFP) enhanced the sensitivity