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Objective:To analyze the value of alpha-fetoprotein(AFP) in predicting survival of patients who underwent salvage surgery after tumor downstaging therapy in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods:The data of 50 patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Staging (BCLC) C hepatocellular carcinoma treated at the Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital from December 2018 to December 2021 were collected. There were 45 males and 5 females, with the age of (53.0±10.5) years. The patients were divided into two groups based on the serum AFP level after tumor downstaging therapy, AFP normal group ( n=27, AFP≤20 μg/L) and the control group ( n=23, AFP>20 μg/L). Patient survival and tumor recurrence were followed up by outpatient review or telephone follow-up. The survival rate was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by the log-rank test. The efficacy of combined immunotargeted therapy were compared between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were carried to analyse the factors influcing prognosis. Results:The median survival time was not reached in both groups. The 1-year and 2-year cumulative survival rates were 95.0% and 88.2% in the normal group and 73.4% and 54.1% in the control group, respectively. The median relapse-free survival time of the normal group was not reached, and the median relapse-free survival time of the control group was 11 months. The 1-year recurrence-free survival rate was 78.1% in the normal group and 39.5% in the control group. The cumulative survival rate and relapse-free survival rate in the normal group were significantly higher than those in the control group (χ 2=7.60, 8.83, P=0.006, 0.003). The complete response, partial response and pathological complete response of tumors in the normal group were significant better than those in the control group. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that patients with serum AFP >20 μg/L ( HR=2.952, 95% CI: 1.023-8.517, P=0.045) after immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy had an increased risk of postoperative recurrence. Conclusion:The reduction of serum AFP to normal after downstaging therapy could be used as a prognostic indicator of salvage surgical in patients with BCLC C hepatocellular carcinoma, and AFP was related to the efficacy of downstaging therapy in patients.
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Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of CT-guided puncture biopsy combined with serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and abnormal prothrombin (PIVKA-Ⅱ) in serum alpha-fetoprotein(AFP) negative primary liver cancer (PHC).Methods:Eighty patients with AFP negative PHC treatment in Fuyang Women and Children′s Hospital from January 2018 to March 2021 were selected as AFP negative PHC group, and another 85 patients diagnosed with benign liver tumor during the same period were selected as the control group retrospectively. The patients of the two groups underwent CT-guided biopsy and the levels of GGT and PIVKA-Ⅱ were detected. The single diagnostic value and combined diagnostic value of AFP negative PHC were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:Seventy-five of the 80 patients in the AFP negative PHC group were confirmed as liver malignant lesions by biopsy, with a coincidence of 93.75%, and 84 of the 85 patients in the control group were confirmed as liver benign lesions by biopsy, with a coincidence of 98.82%. The levels of AFP, GGT and PIVKA-Ⅱ in AFP negative PHC group were significantly higher than those in the control group: (175.67 ± 39.58) μg/L vs. (18.74 ± 7.42) μg/L, (1 245.37 ± 255.41) U/L vs. (486.63 ± 89.05) U/L, (385.49 ± 30.27) AU/L vs. (25.84 ± 7.66) AU/L, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that serum AFP was positively correlated with GGT and PIVKA-Ⅱ ( r = 0.858 and 0.429, P<0.05). The results of ROC curve showed that the area under curve of CT-guided biopsy combined with GGT and PIVKA-Ⅱ in the diagnosis of AFP negative PHC was 0.877, the sensitivity was 91.19%, the specificity was 87.34%. Conclusions:CT-guided biopsy combined with GGT and PIVKA-Ⅱ detection of AFP negative PHC can effectively improve the diagnostic value.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the diagnostic efficacy and optimal cut-off values of alpha-fetoprotein （AFP） and alpha-fetoprotein variant L3 （AFP-L3） in hepatitis B virus （HBV）-related early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. MethodsA total of 1 080 patients with HBV-related HCC （HBV-HCC） who were diagnosed for the first time and not yet treated in The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University from January 2019 to July 2022 were enrolled as HCC group in the study， among whom there were 620 patients with CNLC Ⅰa-Ⅱa HCC， and in addition， 346 patients with HBV-related chronic hepatitis B （CHB group） and 293 patients with HBV-related liver cirrhosis （LC group） were enrolled as controls. The diagnostic efficacy of AFP and AFP-L3% in screening for HBV-related early-stage HCC was analyzed， including sensitivity， specificity， and the area under the ROC curve （AUC）. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data with skewed distribution between two groups； the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison between multiple groups， and the Bonferroni method was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsThe HCC group had significantly higher levels of AFP and AFP-L3% than the CHB group and the LC group （H=542.479 and 418.974， both P<0.001）. In early-stage HCC， AFP and AFP-L3% had an optimal cut-off value of 8.7 ng/mL and 5%， respectively， and AFP alone had the largest AUC of 0.816， with a sensitivity of 66.9% and a specificity of 85.1%. There was no significant difference in AUC between AFP-L3%+AFP and AFP alone （Z=0.609， P=0.543）， but both AFP-L3%+AFP and AFP alone had a significantly larger AUC than AFP-L3% alone （AFP vs AFP-L3%： Z=8.173， P<0.001； AFP+AFP-L3% vs AFP-L3%： Z=8.802， P<0.001）. ConclusionAFP has a good value and is superior to AFP-L3% in the diagnosis of HBV-related early-stage HCC， and the screening cut-off value of AFP should be lowered in order to improve the detection rate of early-stage HCC.
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Objective:To analyze the value of laminin γ2 (LAMC2) in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the difference in patients with different types of microvascular invasion (MVI).Methods:A cohort of 100 patients with HCC who underwent surgical treatment at the Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2021 to March 2022 were prospectively enrolled. There were 80 males and 20 females, aged (55.7±11.1) years. The data of 17 patients with hepatic hemangioma without cirrhosis who underwent operation at the same hospital during the study period were collected to serve as the control group (6 males, 11 females), aged (42.8±9.8) years. LAMC2 in serum was determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and LAMC2 were compared between the two groups, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to compare these two markers in the diagnosis of HCC. The LAMC2 of different MVI patients were compared.Results:The levels of LAMC2 and AFP were 1 334.2(838.9, 2 656.0) pg/ml and 19.0(4.6, 778.6) μg/L in the HCC group, which were significantly higher than 375.2(221.2, 691.7)pg/ml and 3.3(2.5, 3.5) μg/L in the control group ( Z=-4.32, -4.63, both P<0.001). The areas under the ROC curve were 0.829(95% CI: 0.748-0.892) for LAMC2 and 0.852(95% CI: 0.769-0.910) for AFP, and was 0.949(95% CI: 0.911-0.988) for using both in the diagnoses. The diagnostic efficacy of combining LAMC2 and AFP was significantly better than that of LAMC2 alone and AFP alone (area under ROC: Z=3.15, 3.07, P=0.002, 0.002). When the patients were divided into the M0 group (61 patients), the M1 Group (25 patients) and the M2 Group (14 patients) based on MVIs, the concentrations of LAMC2 were 1 168.6(834.3, 2 521.4) pg/ml, 942.2(614.0, 2 056.6) pg/ml and 3 128.4(1 852.7, 7 191.3) pg/ml, respectively. The level of LAMC2 in the M2 group was significantly higher than that in the M0 and M1 groups ( Z=-3.46, -3.32, P=0.001, 0.004). Conclusion:The diagnostic efficacy of LAMC2 combined with AFP for HCC was significantly higher than that of either LAMC2 alone or AFP alone. Serum LAMC2 levels were significant different among the groups of HCC patients with different types of MVI.
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Objective To establish a scoring system based on the preoperative serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and to investigate its value in predicting the prognosis of patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for 154 HCC patients who underwent hepatectomy as the initial treatment in Tianjin First Central Hospital from January 2016 to August 2019. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the optimal cut-off values of serum AFP and ALP; the Kaplan-Meier curve and the log-rank test were used for survival analysis to evaluate the relationship between the AFP-ALP score and disease-free survival (DFS); univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify the independent prognostic factors for HCC patients. The independent samples t -test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. Results The ROC curve analysis showed that serum AFP had an optimal cut-off value of 250.0 ng/mL and an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.674 (95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 0.580-0.767) in predicting DFS, while serum ALP had an optimal cut-off value of 95.5 U/L and an AUC of 0.745 (95% CI : 0.652-0.838). The survival analysis showed that high preoperative serum levels of AFP (≥250.0 ng/mL) and ALP (≥95.5 U/L) were significantly associated with the poor prognosis of HCC patients ( P < 0.001). Based on the AFP-ALP score, all HCC patients were further divided into 0-point group (AFP < 250.0 ng/mL and ALP < 95.5 U/L), 1-point group (AFP≥250.0 ng/mL, ALP < 95.5 U/L; or AFP < 250.0 ng/mL, ALP ≥95.5 U/L), and 2-point group (AFP≥250.0 ng/mL and ALP≥95.5 U/L). The survival curves showed that the 0-, 1-, and 2-point groups had a median DFS of 60.0 (56.7-67.3) months, 20.0 (1.4-36.6) months, and 13.0(7.9-18.0) months, respectively, and there were significant survival differences between the three groups ( P < 0.05). Serum AFP-ALP score (1 point vs 0 point: hazard ratio [ HR ]=4.060, 95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 2.050-8.039, P < 0.001; 2 points vs 0 point: HR =4.583, 95% CI : 2.385-8.805, P < 0.001) was an independent prognostic factor for HCC patients. Conclusion The scoring system based on the serum levels of AFP and ALP can effectively identify HCC patients with poor prognosis, and therefore, it might be used as a simple and reliable tool for prognostic assessment in the clinical treatment of HCC.
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Objective To investigate the value of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) response in evaluating the clinical efficacy and safety of sorafenib combined with camrelizumab in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Clinical data were collected from 48 patients with advanced HCC who were treated with sorafenib combined with camrelizumab in The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from September 2020 to February 2022, and according to the level of AFP response after treatment, they were divided into response group with 32 patients (AFP after 6-8 months of treatment was reduced by more than 20% compared with baseline AFP) and non-response group with 16 patients (AFP after 6-8 months of treatment was reduced by less than 20% compared with baseline AFP). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. Survival curves were plotted, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to investigate the independent risk factors for overall survival (OS). Progression free survival (PFS) time, OS time, and treatment outcome were compared between the two groups. Results No patient achieved clinical remission in either group. Compared with the non-response group, the response group had significantly higher objective response rate (21.88% vs 0, χ 2 =2.530, P =0.112) and disease control rate (84.38% vs 43.75%, χ 2 =6.668, P =0.010). Compared with the non-response group, the response group had longer PFS time (9.9 months vs 6.8 months) and OS time (13.8 months vs 11.1 months). Early non-response of AFP (hazard ratio [ HR ]=2.624, 95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 1.097-6.277, P =0.030) and extrahepatic metastasis ( HR =0.392, 95% CI : 0.157-0.978, P =0.045) were independently associated with a shorter PFS time. No adverse event leading to drug withdrawal was observed in the study. Conclusion Early AFP response has a high clinical value in predicting the efficacy of sorafenib combined with camrelizumab in the treatment of advanced HCC and the prognosis of such patients.
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Objective:To study the clinical and MRI features of alpha-fetoprotein-negative hepatocellular carcinoma without cirrhosis to compare with those of hepatic focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) to arrive at a correct differential diagnosis.Methods:The data of 105 patients who underwent liver surgery for alpha-fetoprotein-negative hepatocellular carcinomas without cirrhosis at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University and the Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital of Nantong from March 2017 to November 2020 were retrospectively studied. There were 109 lesions in 95 males and 10 females. These patients had the age of (60.2±9.9) years. The data of 88 patients who were diagnosed to have hepatic FNH during the study period were collected, and there were 99 lesions in 36 males and 52 females. These patients had the age of (32.8±9.5) years. Variables including age, history of hepatitis B virus infection, T 1 weighted imaging (T 1WI), T 2 weighted imaging (T 2WI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), enhancement mode, lesion shape, lesion boundary and capsule were compared between the two groups. Results:The age and the proportion of patients with a history of hepatitis B in the alpha-fetoprotein-negative hepatocellular carcinoma and without cirrhosis group were significantly higher than those in the hepatic FNH group (both P<0.05). The proportion of lesions with quasi-circular shape, clear boundary and with capsule in hepatocellular carcinoma group were significantly higher than those in the hepatic FNH group (all P<0.05). There were also significant differences in the T 1WI, T 2WI, enhancement modes, DWI, and ADC map between the two groups of lesions (all P<0.05). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the alpha-fetoprotein-negative hepatocellular carcinoma without cirrhosis by the age >45.5 year, with a history of hepatitis B, with clear lesion boundary, with a "washin and washout" enhanced mode and with lesion encapsulation were 0.97(95% CI: 0.95-0.99), 0.79(95% CI: 0.72-0.85), 0.78(95% CI: 0.72-0.85), 0.94(95% CI: 0.90-0.97), 0.99(95% CI: 0.98-1.00) respectively. Conclusions:The presence of a capsule, clear lesion boundary and "washin and washout" enhanced mode are helpful in differentiating alpha-fetoprotein-negative hepatocellular carcinoma without cirrhosis with hepatic FNH.
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China is a big country with liver diseases, and various hepatitis viruses, drug poisons, and alcohol can cause liver injury and even liver failure. The key to the prognosis of patients with liver failure is liver self-repair and regeneration. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) has been extensively studied as a tumor marker in liver cancer, but its role in liver regeneration in patients with liver failure awaits further studies. This article summarizes the basic research on AFP in liver regeneration and the clinical research on AFP in acute liver failure and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), as well as the previous research findings of our group that AFP is an important prognostic index and regeneration factor for liver regeneration after hepatitis B virus-related ACLF. The analysis shows that further studies on the role of AFP in the prognosis of various types of liver failure and the mechanism of liver regeneration will help deepen our understanding of AFP and liver regeneration, thereby providing new ideas and methods for the clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic evaluation of patients with various types of liver failure.
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Objective To investigate the clinical value of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) combined with gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)/aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ratio in the diagnosis of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods A total of 352 subjects who received treatment or underwent physical examination in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from January 15 to June 15, 2020, were enrolled, among whom there were 86 healthy controls (HC group), 68 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB group), 69 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC group), and 129 patients with HCC (HCC group), and a retrospective analysis was performed for the serological test results of all subjects. An analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t -test was used for further comparison between two groups; the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of continuous data with skewed distribution between multiple groups, and the Nemenyi method was used for further comparison between two groups. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to calculate predictor variables; a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted for AFP, GGT/AST, and the predictor variables used alone or in combination, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity were calculated; the Z test was used for comparison of AUC. Results The HCC group had significantly higher GGT/AST ratio and AFP than the other groups (all P < 0.05). The ROC curve analysis showed that AFP combined with GGT/AST ratio had a significantly higher AUC than AFP alone in the HCC group vs the LC group, the HCC group vs the HC+CHB+LC groups, and the HCC group vs the CHB+LC groups ( Z =2.684, 2.241, and 2.415, P =0.007, 0.025, and 0.016). Conclusion AFP combined with GGT/AST ratio can improve the clinical diagnostic performance of HBV-related HCC and thus has a certain diagnostic value.
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Objective:To investigate the correlation between the number of circulating tumor cells (CTC) in peripheral blood and clinicopathological features of patients with breast cancer.Methods:The clinical data of 104 breast cancer patients at Guangzhou Panyu Central Hospital between January 2017 and May 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The number of CTC in peripheral blood, the levels of serum tumor markers [alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen (CA)125, CA153] were detected. In blood samples, the number of CTC ≥ 2/ml was defined as CTC positive. Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the protein expression of Ki-67 in tumor tissues. The association of CTC with clinicopathological features, serum tumor markers and Ki-67 protein expression was also analyzed.Results:The CTC positive rate was 80.77% (84/104). There were statistically significant differences in composition of whether there was vascular tumor thrombus (χ 2 = 0.860, P = 0.009), axillary lymph node metastasis (χ 2 = 12.382, P<0.01), N staging ( P = 0.002) and TNM staging (χ 2 = 7.698, P = 0.006) between patients with CTC positive and negative. However, there were no statistically significant differences in composition of age ( t = 0.634, P = 0.528), tumor quadrant (χ 2 = 6.523, P = 0.163), molecular subtyping (χ 2 = 4.164, P = 0.384), histological grade (χ 2 = 1.901, P = 0.387), T staging ( P = 0.099) and whether there was nerve invasion (χ 2 = 0.092, P = 0.761). The levels of serum CEA and CA125 in CTC positive patients were higher than those in CTC negative patients [median ( P25, P75): 2.50 ng/ml (2.21 ng/ml, 2.92 ng/ml) vs. 1.89 ng/ml (1.61 ng/ml, 2.35 ng/ml); 13.81 U/ml (11.79 U/ml, 16.28 U/ml) vs. 11.17 U/ml (8.91 U/ml, 12.80 U/ml); all P < 0.05], and CTC was positively correlated with serum CEA and CA153 levels ( r = 0.520, P<0.01; r = 0.497, P<0.01); CTC was not related to Ki-67 protein expression (χ 2 = 0.512, P = 0.474). Conclusion:The number of CTC in peripheral blood is closely related to clinical staging, lymph node or hematogenous metastasis, tumor markers CEA and CA153 levels of breast cancer. The increased number of CTC may cause tumor progression and metastasis.
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Objective:To analyze the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of alpha‐fetoprotein‐producing gastric carcinoma (AFPGC).Methods:A retrospective analysis was made on 2 671 GC patients admitted from Jan 1998 to Dec 2018 , AFPGC patients and matching AFP negative GC cases were enrolled and their clinicopathological features and prognostic factors were analyzed. The survival curve was drawn by Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank test was used to test the significance, Univariate analysis was performed by using COX proportional hazard model.Results:There were 98 AFPGC in this study accounting for 4.5% of all GC of the corresponding time period. The proportion of male to female was 2.16∶1, the average age was (65±12) years. The serum AFP levels significantly decreased after operation in most patients (median: 52 ng/ml vs. 5 ng/ml, Ｚ=-2.736, P=0.001). Serum AFP and CEA levels in patients with AFPGC before treatment were significantly higher than that in patients with AFP negative GC (both P<0.05) . Vascular invasion(62.71% vs. 40.68%) and liver metastasis (31.63% vs .6.12%) were more likely to occur in AFPGC groups (both P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in tumor size, location, differentiation and lymph node metastasis (all P>0.05). The prognosis of AFPGC was significant pooer than that in AFP negative GC ( P<0.05). Prognosis of AFPGC patients was significantly correlated with preoperative serum AFP level, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, simultaneous liver metastasis and vascular invasion (all P<0.05) . COX multivariate survival analysis found that preoperative serum AFP level was independent risk factors of patients with AFPGC ( P<0.05). Conclusion:AFPGC is a special GC charactering poor prognosis .
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Objective:To study the predictive value of systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and tumor diameter on microvascular invasion (MVI) in patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with an aim to establish a preoperative prediction model.Methods:The clinical data of 283 patients who underwent hepatectomy at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from September 2017 to September 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. In the 283 patients with HCC who were included into this study, 249 were males and 34 were females, aged (53.7±11.0) years. Using postoperative pathology findings, these patients were divided into two groups: the MVI negative group ( n=140) and the MVI positive group ( n=143). Correlation between MVI and related indicators was analyzed using logistic regression analysis. The prediction model of MVI was then established by selecting independent risk factors. Univariate and multivariate analysis of recurrence-free survival (RFS) were performed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results:Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that AFP>400 ng/ml ( OR=2.304, 95% CI: 1.329-3.995, P=0.003), SII>376.30×10 9/L ( OR=2.249, 95% CI: 1.299-3.894, P=0.004) and tumor diameter>5 cm ( OR=2.728, 95% CI: 1.587-4.687, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for MVI. The Cox proportional hazards regression model showed that AFP ( HR=1.663, 95% CI: 1.063-2.602, P=0.026) and SII ( HR=1.851, 95% CI: 1.173-2.920, P=0.008) were independent risk factors for RFS in HCC patients. The sensitivity and specificity of the model based on SII, AFP and tumor diameter were 59.4% and 75.7%, respectively. Conclusions:SII, AFP and tumor diameter were closely related to occurrence of MVI in patients with HCC. AFP and SII were independent prognostic factors of RFS. This prediction model has certain predictive values for occurrence of MVI and prognosis of HCC patients.
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Objective:To investigate the predictive value of maternal peripheral blood fetal DNA, creatine kinase (CK), and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in pregnant women with placenta previa complicated with adhesion or implantation.Methods:From April 2018 to April 2019, 72 patients with placenta previa confirmed by cesarean section in Chengde Central Hospital were retrospectively collected. Among them, 23 patients complicated with placental adhesion were enrolled in the placenta adhesion group, 19 patients complicated with placenta implantation were in the placenta implantation group, and 30 patients with simple placenta previa were in the simple placenta previa group. The amount of fetal DNA, CK and AFP in maternal peripheral blood were measured at 20 to 27 weeks of gestation. The general data of the three groups, the amount of fetal DNA in maternal peripheral blood, CK and AFP were compared. The value of the amount of fetal DNA, CK, and AFP in maternal peripheral blood for predivting placenta previa were analyzed. At the same time, the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes was counted, and patients were divided into adverse pregnancy outcomes group and good pregnancy outcomes group according to pregnancy outcomes. The fetal DNA amount, CK and AFP levels in the maternal peripheral blood of the two were compared, and the factors affecting the adverse pregnancy outcome of placenta previa were analyzed.Results:The levels of fetal DNA, CK and AFP in the maternal peripheral blood of the placenta implantation group were significantly higher than those of the placenta adhesion group and the simple placenta previa group: (1 018.96 ± 442.15) copies/ml vs. (659.27 ± 320.26) copies/ml and (390.64 ± 102.53) copies/ml , (103.54 ± 26.39) U/L vs. (88.30 ± 20.65) U/L and (62.78 ± 15.84) U/L, (319.65 ± 62.14) μg/L vs. (284.62 ± 55.96) and (232.64 ± 48.62) μg/L, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.01). The amount of fetal DNA in maternal peripheral blood was positively correlated with CK and AFP ( r = 0.899 and 0.769, P<0.01), and CK was positively correlated with AFP ( r = 0.782, P<0.01). The AUC of maternal peripheral blood fetal DNA in predicting placenta previa complicated with placenta adhesion was 0.842, and the sensitivity and specificity were 78.26% and 83.33% respectively. The levels of fetal DNA, CK and AFP in maternal peripheral blood of patients with adverse pregnancy outcomes were higher than those of patients with good pregnancy outcomes: (928.64 ± 257.73) copies/ml vs. (460.02 ± 188.95) copies/ml, (105.83 ± 26.88) U/L vs. (66.33 ± 20.39) U/L and (292.52 ± 58.39) μg/L vs. (259.29 ± 42.65) μg/L, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Placenta adhesion, placenta implantation, postpartum hemorrhage, maternal peripheral blood fetal DNA, CK and AFP levels were influential factors for the adverse pregnancy outcome of placenta previa ( OR = 3.544, 4.183, 3.413, 3.222, 3.109 and 3.313, 95% CI 1.905 to 6.593, 2.401 to 7.286, 1.832 to 6.359, 1.729 to 6.005, 1.659 to 5.827 and 1.831 to 5.994, P<0.01). Conclusions:The amount of fetal DNA, CK and AFP in maternal peripheral blood have a certain predictive value in placenta previa complicated with placental adhesion or implantation, and are closely related to the pregnancy outcome of patients with placenta previa. Early detection of the above indicators will help clinically to formulate reasonable intervention measures and promote the improvement of pregnancy outcomes.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the value of combined determination of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype, the alpha-fetoprotein variant AFP-L3, and P53 antibody in HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCV-HCC). MethodsA total of 84 patients with HCV-HCC who were diagnosed in our hospital from January 2016 to December 2019 were enrolled as HCV-HCC group, and 84 patients with benign liver diseases (hepatitis C and HCV liver cirrhosis) were enrolled as control group. The PCR-reverse dot blot hybridization technique was used to determine HCV genotype, ELISA was used to measure P53 antibody, and electrochemical luminescence was used to measure AFP-L3. The t-test and the Kruskal-Wallis H test were used for comparison between two groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The logistic regression analysis and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to compare the value of each index in the diagnosis of HCV-HCC. ResultsCompared with the control group, the HCV-HCC group had a significantly higher proportion of patients with HCV 1b genotype or AFP-L3 and a significantly higher level of P53 antibody (χ2=5714, Z=-9.27, Z=-9.92, all P＜0.05). The logistic regression analysis showed that HCV genotype, AFP-L3, and P53 antibody had significant effects on HCV-HCC (all P＜0.05). The above indices were fitted to establish a model of Logit(Y)=-3.881+0031XAFP-L3(%)+0.043XP53+1218XHCV genotype, in which Y was the positive probability value of combined determination. In the screening of HCV-HCC, Y had a significantly larger area under the ROC curve than HCV genotype (0.945 vs 0.758, Z=6.17, P＜0001), AFP-L3 (0.945 vs 0.863, Z=3.97, P＜0.001), and P53 antibody (0.945 vs 0.887, Z=3.07, P=0.002). Y had higher AUC (0.945), sensitivity (90.90%), specificity (94.00%), positive predictive value (93.80%), negative predictive value (9116%), and diagnostic accuracy (92.44%) than each index alone. ConclusionHCV 1b genotype, AFP-L3, and P53 antibody level are associated with the risk of HCV-HCC, and the combined determination of the three indices has important clinical significance in the early diagnosis of HCV-HCC.
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Liver regeneration is an important response after liver injury and necrosis to maintain liver volume and function, with the involvement of various factors and signaling pathways. This process has three main stages, i.e., the initial stage of mitosis triggered by certain factors, the proliferation stage of promoting hepatocytes to enter the cell cycle, and the termination stage of promoting liver cells to reach a certain number and the recovery of liver mass. This article introduces various factors and multiple cellular signaling pathways that promote the differentiation of liver stem cells into liver cells to restore liver volume and function and summarizes the previous research findings of our group that alpha-fetoprotein is an important serum marker for liver regeneration after liver failure. The analysis shows that in-depth studies of the occurrence and clinical application of liver regeneration will help to improve the understanding of liver regeneration, better predict the prognosis of acute and chronic liver diseases, and provide new ideas and methods for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of various advanced liver diseases.
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ObjectiveTo investigate whether the reference intervals for serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in WS/T 645.2-2018 are applicable to the adults in Changchun, China. MethodsAccording to the validation method for the reference intervals in WS/T 645.2-2018, 5420 subjects, aged from 20-79 years, who underwent physical examination from January 2016 to April 2019 were enrolled and divided into 12 subgroups based on age and sex. Each subgroup was analyzed in terms of whether more than 90% of the measured values fell into the reference intervals, and the changing trend of AFP and CEA with age and sex was analyzed. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between two groups. ResultsMore than 90% of the measured values of serum AFP and CEA fell into the reference intervals, which passed the validation test. There was a significant difference in serum AFP between male and female subjects aged 30-39 years (Z=-4.51, P＜0.05), and there was a significant difference in serum CEA between male and female subjects aged 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60-69 years (Z=-13.45, -18.15, -17.34, -10.82, and -3.65, all P＜0.05). Serum AFP increased slowly with age in female subjects aged 20-69 years and decreased with age in male and female subjects aged 70-79 years. Serum CEA increased with age in male and female subjects aged 20-79 years, and male subjects had a higher measured value than female subjects. ConclusionReference intervals for serum AFP and CEA in WS/T 645.2-2018 issued by National Health Commission are applicable to the adults in Changchun.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the value of combined measurement of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), Dickkopf-1 (DKK1), and cytoskeleton-associated protein 4 (CKAP4) in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MethodsA total of 122 patients with HCC (76 patients in the early stage), 152 patients with liver cirrhosis, and 105 patients with chronic hepatitis B, who were admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2013 to December 2017, were enrolled, and 101 individuals who underwent physical examination during the same period of time were enrolled as healthy control group. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between multiple groups. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to obtain the new variable of predicted probability, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed for each index and predicted probability to investigate the area under the ROC curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of the three indices used alone or in combination. ResultsThe HCC group had significantly higher serum levels of AFP, DKK1, and CKAP4 than the liver cirrhosis group, the chronic hepatitis B group, and the healthy control groups (F=121.618, 84.559, and 91.769, P＜0.001). The combination of AFP, DKK1, and CKAP4 had an AUC of 0.967 (95% confidence interval ［CI］: 0.950-0.984), a sensitivity of 0.869, and a specificity of 0.980, which were significantly higher than the AUCs, sensitivities, and specificities of the three indices used alone (all P＜0.05). The combination of the three indices had an AUC of 0.965 (95%CI: 0.942-0.988), a sensitivity of 0.868, and a specificity of 0.980 in the diagnosis of early-stage HCC, which were significantly higher than the AUCs, sensitivities, and specificities of the three indices used alone (all P＜0.05). ConclusionCombined measurement of serum AFP, DKK1, and CKAP4 improves the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of HCC diagnosis and thus has an important clinical value in the screening for and early diagnosis of HCC.
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With the in-depth study of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and lymphocyte immune regulation, tumor suppressor protein factor and stem cell factor, it is found that AFP is involved in tumorigenesis, growth, metastasis and maintenance of liver cancer cell stem cell function. AFP inhibits natural killer cell activity by inhibiting lymphatic system to protect the liver cancer cells from immune surveillance; AFP can also inhibit the activity of tumor suppressor genes such as caspase-3, pten, p53 and tumor suppressor proteins; AFP can promote the formation of liver cancer stem cells and maintains stability through activating the expressions of other cancer stem cells factors. This paper reviews the biological functions of AFP by regulating hepatocellular carcinoma cells to evade immune surveillance, inhibiting apoptosis and maintaining the generation of liver cancer stem cells.
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Objective To explore the clinical value of color doppler ultrasonography combined with CA125 and AFP in the early diagnosis of placental abruption.Methods From January 2015 to December 2017,120 patients with placental abruption in the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Zhoushan were selected as observation group. 120 healthy pregnant individuals were selected as control group.They all received the color Doppler ultrasound and detection of serum CA125 and AFP levels.The clots checking on the surface of placenta post-delivery was conducted at the same time. The statistical analysis was set up to compare two groups according to those tests from the lab reports.Results The levels of serum CA125 and AFP were higher in the observation group compared with those in the control group.In details,the CA125[(69.1 ± 8.9) U/mL] and AFP[(279.8 ± 41.3) μg/L] levels in placental abruption grade Ⅲ were significantly higher than those in gradeⅡ[ CA125 ( 61.6 ± 9.4 ) U/mL, AFP ( 234.9 ± 46.2)μg/L] and gradeⅠ[ CA125 (52.2 ± 8.9) U/mL,AFP(205.7 ± 43.1) μg/L] ( all P<0.01).The positive predictive values of placental abruption by the color Doppler ultrasound alone was 46.7%.The combination of the color Doppler ultrasound with serum CA125 was 81.7%.The combination of the color Doppler ultrasound with serum AFP was 78.3%.The combination of those three tests was increased up to 90.8% ,which was the best pre-diagnosis compared to the color Doppler ultrasound alone and the other two combinations(χ2 =11.67,P<0.01).The detective rate of combination of the color Doppler ultrasound with serum CA125 and AFP was higher than the other two combi-nations(χ2 =12. 56, 12. 64, all P <0. 01 ). Conclusion The levels of serum CA125 and AFP are positively correlated with placental abruption.The combination tests using the color Doppler ultrasound and both serum CA125 and AFP is a novel and sensitive method as to pre-diagnose high risk placental abruption during pregnancy.
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Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of apatinib combined with docetaxel in the third line and above treatment of advanced serum alpha-fetoprotein-positive gastric cancer(AFPGC). Methods A total of 41 patients with AFPGC from February 2015 to April 2018 in Suining Central Hospital of Sichuan Province were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into experimental group and control group according to different treatment methods,15 patients in the experimental group received with apatinib combined with docetaxel,and 26 patients in the control group received chemotherapy alone or optimal nutritional support. The short-term efficacy,long-term efficacy and adverse reactions were evaluated by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours(RECIST)version 1. 1,progression-free survival(PFS),overall survival(OS)and National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events(NCI CTCAE)version 4. 0. Results After 2 cycles of treatment,no complete remission( CR)was achieved in either group,4 partial remission (PR),7 stable disease(SD),4 progressive disease(PD)in the experimental group,and 2 PR,7 SD,17 PD in the control group. The objective response rate(ORR)was 26. 67％(4 / 15)and 7. 69％(2 / 26)respective-ly in the experimental group and the control group,with no significant difference(χ2 = 1. 433,P = 0. 231). The disease control rate(DCR)was 73. 33％(11 / 15)and 34. 62％(9 / 26)respectively in the two groups, with significant difference(χ2 = 5. 707,P = 0. 017). The median PFS of the experimental group and the control group were both 3. 0 months,and there was no significant difference between the two groups(χ2 = 4. 425,P =0. 350). The median OS were 6. 0 months and 4. 0 months respectively,and the difference was statistically sig-nificant(χ2 = 5. 727,P = 0. 017). The occurrence rates of leukopenia of the experimental group and the control group were 73. 33％(11 / 15)and 30. 77％(8 / 26),the occurrence rates of hypertension were 40. 00％(6 /15)and 0(0 / 26),the occurrence rates of proteinuria were 26. 67％(4 / 15)and 0(0 / 26),the occurrence rates of poor appetite were 80. 00％(12 / 15)and 38. 46％(10 / 26),and the occurrence rates of hemorrhage were 33. 33％(5 / 15)and 3. 85％(1 / 26). The occurrence rates of the above adverse reactions in the experi-mental group were significantly higher than those in the control group(χ2 = 6. 930,P = 0. 008;χ2 = 9. 191, P = 0. 002;χ2 = 4. 953,P = 0. 026;χ2 = 6. 600,P = 0. 010;χ2 = 4. 471,P = 0. 034),and the differences were statistically significant. There was no significant difference in the incidence of thrombocytopenia,anemia, nausea and vomiting,diarrhea,fatigue and hand-foot syndrome between the two groups( all P > 0. 05). Conclusion The DCR of apatinib combined with docetaxel in the third-line and above treatment of advanced AFPGC patients is higher. This scheme can prolong survival period,and the adverse reactions are more serious,but they are basically tolerable.