Clinical Significance of Preoperative Hepatocellular Carcinoma With High Lens culinaris Agglutinin-reactive Fraction of Alpha-Fetoprotein, But Low Alpha-Fetoprotein

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to verify the significance of high Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of α-fetoprotein (AFP-L3) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with low AFP.

Materials and methods: There were 283 patients with low AFP who underwent initial hepatic resection with or without radiofrequency ablation for HCC. Patients were divided into two groups based on AFP-L3 values: >10%: high AFP-L3 (n=24); and ≤10%: low AFP-L3 (n=259). Overall survival (OS) and 2-year recurrence rates were compared, and independent prognostic factors were identified.

Results: The OS and 2-year recurrence rates of the high AFP-L3 group were significantly worse than those of the low AFP-L3 group. The independent prognostic factors for poor OS were des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) of >40 mAU/ml, microvascular invasion, and invasive growth, and those for 2-year recurrence were ^99mTc-galactosyl human serum albumin uptake ratio of <0.90, DCP of >40 mAU/ml, multiple tumors, microvascular invasion, and poor differentiation. DCP levels increased with AFP-L3, and cases with high DCP and AFP-L3 had worse prognoses and higher 2-year recurrence rates compared to those with elevation of only one of these.

Conclusion: Patients with high AFP-L3 but low AFP have poor prognosis and high 2-year recurrence rates. DCP strongly reflects HCC malignancy in patients with low AFP.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of alpha-fetoprotein; hepatic resection; radiofrequency ablation.