Clinical application of protein induced by vitamin K antagonist-II as a biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma

AbstractHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Early diagnosis improves the prognosis. Protein induced by vitamin K antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) is an effective serum biomarker for HCC diagnosis and prognosis. Combined with another serum biomarker α-fetoprotein (AFP), the sensitivity and specificity of HCC diagnosis can be improved to a maximum of 94 and 98.5 %, respectively. PIVKA-II alone or in combination with AFP and/or AFP-L3 was effective in predicting the treatment response and clinical outcome of curative hepatic resection, chemothe rapy, targeted therapy, radiotherapy, and liver transplantation. Japanese clinical guidelines recommend the combined use of PIVKA-II and AFP for the diagnosis of HCC, management of high-risk population, and prognosis of anticancer treatment. Further, PIVKA-II as a functional target promoted HCC cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis by activating c-Met and other signal transduction pathways. Inhibition of PIVKA-II may provide a selective and effective therapy for HCC.
Source: Tumor Biology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research