[Clinical significance of AFP-L3 variants determined by micro centrifugal column].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical significance of AFP-L3 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: Serum AFP-L3 variants were separated by micro centrifugal column, and detected by chemiluminescence. RESULTS: AFP and AFP-L3 levels were higher in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma than those in patients with chronic hepatitis (P<0.001); as a diagnostic target, the sensitivity and specificity of AFP-L3 were 72.3 percent and 97.2 percent, respectively. Eight patients with hepatitis have higher AFP-L3, but none of them were found with carcinoma by CT three months later. CONCLUSION: AFP-L3 is very useful in the diagnosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.