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Thromb Haemost 1988; 60(03): 468-470
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1646992
Original Article
Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart

Coagulation Assays as Diagnostic Markers of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

J J Lefrère
The Institut National de Transfusion Sanguine, Paris
,
J Conard
*   Laboratoire Central d’Hématologie, Hôtel-Dieu, Paris
,
P Mavier
**   Services d’hépatologie et de gastroentérologie de Créteîl, Villeneuve-St-Georges, Bondy, France
,
L Bettan
**   Services d’hépatologie et de gastroentérologie de Créteîl, Villeneuve-St-Georges, Bondy, France
,
M Beaugrand
**   Services d’hépatologie et de gastroentérologie de Créteîl, Villeneuve-St-Georges, Bondy, France
,
D Gozin
The Institut National de Transfusion Sanguine, Paris
,
J Lerable
The Institut National de Transfusion Sanguine, Paris
,
D Dhumeaux
**   Services d’hépatologie et de gastroentérologie de Créteîl, Villeneuve-St-Georges, Bondy, France
,
M Samama
*   Laboratoire Central d’Hématologie, Hôtel-Dieu, Paris
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received 09 May 1988

Accepted after revision 05 August 1988

Publication Date:
30 June 2018 (online)

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Summary

With the aim of improving the biological diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) and factor V levels were assayed in 119 patients with HCC and 60 cirrhotic patients without HCC. Among the patients with HCC, increased levels of AFP (>300 ng/ml) and of DCP (>15 mU/ml) vveie ubseived in 36% and 69% of the cases, respectively. None of the 60 patients without TTCC had increased AFP, and one had abnormal DCP; in this patient, DCP level returned to normal value after vitamin K1 injection. No significant correlation was found between increased AFP and DCP, thus indicating that the two tests complement each other for the diagnosis. A factor V level higher than expected from the reduced prothrombin time test of the patient was detected in 50% of patients with HCC and only 7% of those without HCC. No correlation was found between increased factor V and abnormal AFP or DCP The thrombin time, fibrinogen activity to antigen ratio, and polymerization index failed to differentiate between cirrhosis and HCC. We conclude that AFP, DCP and factor V may give complementary informations in the diagnosis of HCC, one of these markers at least being positive in 88% of the patients.

Keywords

Coagulation assays - Hepatocellular carcinoma - Decarboxy-prothrombin - Proaccelerin
 

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