Does the concentration of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor reflect the transformation of liver cirrhosis to liver carcinoma?

Serum concentration of alpha1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha1-PI) was determined by nephelometric method in forty seven patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) and fifteen patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our data show an increase in the concentration of alpha1-PI in the group with decompensated LC by 17% and in HCC by 29%. The level of alpha1-PI higher than (220 mg%) may be indicative of the disease progression towards decompensated LC or HCC. In the conclusion, an increase in alpha1-PI concentration in patients with LC may be considered as an alarming factor, but is not sufficiently specific to become a diagnostic tool for the detection of HCC development.