Clinical significance of abnormal prothrombin (DCP) in relation to postoperative survival and prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES

In this study we correlate plasma des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) levels with prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in combination with serum alpha-fetoprotein levels (AFP).

METHODS

Levels of DCP were measured in 165 patients with HCC by an enzyme immunoassay (EIA, E-1023) with an anti-DCP monoclonal antibody.

RESULTS

There was no correlation between the plasma DCP levels and the serum AFP levels. The positive rate obtained from the combination assay was 72.1%. The survival rates of the patients with elevated levels of both DCP and AFP were significantly lower than those of the groups with normal DCP and AFP levels (p < 0.05). The disease-free survival rates of patients with elevated DCP and AFP levels were also significantly lower than those of patients with normal DCP and AFP levels (p < 0.05). The recurrence rate within a postoperative period of 2 yr was higher in the patients with elevated DCP and AFP levels than in those with normal levels.

CONCLUSIONS

The determination of plasma DCP levels combined with AFP levels appears to be useful for the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC, and is useful also in postoperative monitoring for recurrence.