Clinical utility of human epididymis protein 4

Abstract

This review comprehensively elucidates the current clinical applications of human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) in various systemic diseases. Initially discovered in 1991 and linked to sperm maturation, HE4 has since been recognized for its significant expression in numerous malignant tumors. Currently, the main research areas concerning HE4 focus on its role in diagnosis, assessment of treatment efficacy, monitoring of recurrence, and evaluation of clinical prognosis in malignant tumors. Additionally, a notable area involves the application of HE4 in the diagnosis and prognostic assessment of fibrosis affecting multiple organs, such as the lung, liver, and kidney. Recent investigations have also explored the clinical utility of HE4 in biological fluids beyond serum, such as urine, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and ascitic fluid. Moreover, the combination of HE4 with other biomarkers and imaging techniques holds promise for enhancing its clinical applicability. However, the concentration of HE4 is subject to influence from various factors, which complicates its clinical implementation. Therefore, further research is warranted to improve the clinical utility of HE4.

Keywords: HE4; Human epididymis protein 4; biomarker; diagnosis; prognosis.