BACKGROUND: Des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) has been reported to be an important prognostic factor in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, a monoclonal antibody, 19B7, which recognizes the Gla domain of DCP, has been identified. The 19B7 antibody recognizes an epitope different from that recognized by MU-3, which is another antibody against DCP. In this study, the authors investigated the measurement of DCP using the antibodies MU-3 and 19B7, respectively, as a prognostic factor for patients with HCC who had solitary, small tumors and or Child Stage A HCC. METHODS: One hundred four patients with HCC who had solitary, small tumors or Child Stage A tumors were enrolled in the study between 1991 and 2001. All patients were treated and were followed for a mean of 3.2 years. The authors analyzed the correlation between the DCP Index (DCP measured by MU-3 and DCP measured by 19B7) and patient prognosis. The patients were classified into 3 groups based on their DCP Index: 1) DCP negative (DCP < 40 milli arbitrary unit (mAU)/mL)); 2) low DCP Index (DCP > or = 40 mAU/mL; MU-3:19B7 ratio, < 3.0; and 3) high DCP Index (DCP > or = 40 mAU/mL; MU-3:19B7 ratio, > or = 3.0). RESULTS: The survival rate for patients in the high DCP Index group was lower compared with the survival rate for patients in the DCP-negative group and was significantly lower compared with the survival rate for patients in the low DCP Index group. In a univariate Cox proportional hazards model, the positive factors were high DCP Index and low DCP Index. Among the positive predictive factors that were analyzed using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model were age (hazard ratio, 3.27; P = 0.006), low DCP Index (hazard ratio, 2.87; P = 0.012), and high DCP Index (hazard ratio, 12.3; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis of patients who had a high DCP Index score was poorer compared with patients who had a low DCP Index score and patients who were classified as DCP negative. The authors concluded that the DCP Index is a prognostic indicator for patients with HCC. Copyright 2003 American Cancer Society.
BACKGROUND:Des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) has been reported to be an important prognostic factor in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, a monoclonal antibody, 19B7, which recognizes the Gla domain of DCP, has been identified. The 19B7 antibody recognizes an epitope different from that recognized by MU-3, which is another antibody against DCP. In this study, the authors investigated the measurement of DCP using the antibodies MU-3 and 19B7, respectively, as a prognostic factor for patients with HCC who had solitary, small tumors and or Child Stage A HCC. METHODS: One hundred four patients with HCC who had solitary, small tumors or Child Stage A tumors were enrolled in the study between 1991 and 2001. All patients were treated and were followed for a mean of 3.2 years. The authors analyzed the correlation between the DCP Index (DCP measured by MU-3 and DCP measured by 19B7) and patient prognosis. The patients were classified into 3 groups based on their DCP Index: 1) DCP negative (DCP < 40 milli arbitrary unit (mAU)/mL)); 2) low DCP Index (DCP > or = 40 mAU/mL; MU-3:19B7 ratio, < 3.0; and 3) high DCP Index (DCP > or = 40 mAU/mL; MU-3:19B7 ratio, > or = 3.0). RESULTS: The survival rate for patients in the high DCP Index group was lower compared with the survival rate for patients in the DCP-negative group and was significantly lower compared with the survival rate for patients in the low DCP Index group. In a univariate Cox proportional hazards model, the positive factors were high DCP Index and low DCP Index. Among the positive predictive factors that were analyzed using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model were age (hazard ratio, 3.27; P = 0.006), low DCP Index (hazard ratio, 2.87; P = 0.012), and high DCP Index (hazard ratio, 12.3; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis of patients who had a high DCP Index score was poorer compared with patients who had a low DCP Index score and patients who were classified as DCP negative. The authors concluded that the DCP Index is a prognostic indicator for patients with HCC. Copyright 2003 American Cancer Society.
Authors: R Fox; S Berhane; M Teng; T Cox; T Tada; H Toyoda; T Kumada; C Kagebayashi; S Satomura; P J Johnson Journal: Br J Cancer Date: 2014-04-01 Impact factor: 7.640