Kusaba T
Second Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kurume Med J. 1998;45(1):113-20. doi: 10.2739/kurumemedj.45.113.
Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3), which is a fucosylated variation of AFP, is not only sensitive and specific for localization of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but also a prognostic factor for patients with HCC. The relationship between status of AFP-L3% in serum and pathological findings was studied using 48 resected HCC specimens. AFP-L3 fraction was measured by lectin-affinity blotting using an AFP Differentiation Kit L (Wako, Osaka, Japan), and was expressed as AFP-L3% (AFP-L3/total AFP x 100%). A cut-off level of 15% was used. Pathological findings of HCC such as histological grade (well, moderately and poorly differentiated HCC), vascular invasion, and Ki67 (MIB1), p53 (DO7) and alpha-catenin immunohistochemical staining were studied. According to the results of serum AFP concentrations and AFP-L3%, the 48 patients were divided into the following three groups: AFP greater than or equal to 20 ng/ml and AFP-L3 positive (group A, n = 14), AFP greater than or equal to 20 ng/ml and AFP-L3 negative (group B, n = 14) and AFP less than 20 ng/ml (group C, n = 20). Ki67 labeling index of HCC tissue in group A was 27.8 +/- 18.9%, which was significantly higher than those of group B (9.6 +/- 10.1%, p < 0.024) and group C (11.1 +/- 11.2%, p < 0.03). In group A, p53 expression was higher and alpha-catenin staining was reduced significantly compared with those of group B or C, respectively. The results of the study suggest that the proportion of AFP-L3% in serum reflects some biological features of HCC.
甲胎蛋白的豆科凝集素反应性部分（AFP-L3）是甲胎蛋白的一种岩藻糖基化变体，它不仅对肝细胞癌（HCC）的定位敏感且特异，还是HCC患者的一个预后因素。本研究使用48例切除的HCC标本，探讨血清中AFP-L3%水平与病理结果之间的关系。采用AFP分化试剂盒L（日本大阪和光）通过凝集素亲和印迹法测定AFP-L3部分，并表示为AFP-L3%（AFP-L3/总AFP×100%）。采用的临界值为15%。研究了HCC的病理结果，如组织学分级（高分化、中分化和低分化HCC）、血管侵犯以及Ki67（MIB1）、p53（DO7）和α-连环蛋白免疫组化染色。根据血清AFP浓度和AFP-L3%的结果，将48例患者分为以下三组：AFP大于或等于20 ng/ml且AFP-L3阳性（A组，n = 14）、AFP大于或等于20 ng/ml且AFP-L3阴性（B组，n = 14）以及AFP小于20 ng/ml（C组，n = 20）。A组HCC组织的Ki67标记指数为27.8±18.9%，显著高于B组（9.6±10.1%，p < 0.024）和C组（11.1±11.2%，p < 0.03）。与B组或C组相比，A组中p53表达较高，α-连环蛋白染色分别显著降低。研究结果表明，血清中AFP-L3%的比例反映了HCC的一些生物学特征。
