C-reactive protein and hepatocellular carcinoma: analysis of its relationships to tumor factors.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a blood marker for inflammation and is an independent prognostic factor for many human cancers. Combined with albumin levels, it forms the basis of the Glasgow Index for cancer prognosis. We reviewed the literature on CRP and HCC and also evaluated blood CRP levels and combination CRP plus albumin levels in a large HCC cohort. In order to understand the prognostic significance of CRP, we retrospectively examined a large HCC cohort and examined the relationship of CRP levels to tumor parameters. We report, that CRP alone and CRP plus albumin combined as well, significantly correlated with parameters of HCC aggressiveness, such as maximum tumor dimension (MTD), portal vein thrombosis (PVT) and blood alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels, both as individual parameters and all parameters together (Aggressiveness Index). This extends current thinking, to suggest a possible explanation for the usefulness of blood CRP levels in HCC prognostication.