Serum Levels of M2BPGi as Short-Term Predictors of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Untreated Chronic Hepatitis B Patients

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 7; no. 1; pp. 14352 - 10
• Main Authors: Liu, Jessica, Hu, Hui-Han, Lee, Mei-Hsuan, Korenaga, Masaaki, Jen, Chin-Lan, Batrla-Utermann, Richard, Lu, Sheng-Nan, Wang, Li-Yu, Mizokami, Masashi, Chen, Chien-Jen, Yang, Hwai-I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 30.10.2017; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 13/1; 692/4020/4021/234/2513/1549; 692/53/2423; Adult; Aged; alpha-Fetoproteins - analysis; Antigens, Neoplasm - analysis; Antigens, Neoplasm - blood; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Area Under Curve; Biomarkers, Tumor - analysis; Biomarkers, Tumor - blood; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - blood; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - metabolism; Carrier Proteins - analysis; Carrier Proteins - blood; Case-Control Studies; Female; Glycoproteins - analysis; Glycoproteins - blood; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B surface antigen; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens - analysis; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens - blood; Hepatitis B, Chronic - complications; Hepatitis B, Chronic - drug therapy; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Interferon; Liver cancer; Liver Cirrhosis - complications; Liver Neoplasms - blood supply; Liver Neoplasms - drug therapy; Liver Neoplasms - metabolism; Male; Middle Aged; multidisciplinary; Prognosis; ROC Curve; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Serum levels; Short term
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14747-5

This study examines the role of M2BPGi, a novel seromarker for chronic hepatitis, in predicting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among untreated chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. In this nested case-control study, 1070 samples were assayed for M2BPGi, including 357 samples from HCC cases, and 713 samples from non-HCC controls, collected at various times throughout follow-up. HCC case samples were stratified according to years prior to diagnosis. Associations between M2BPGi and HCC were examined with multivariate logistic regression. M2BPGi, α-fetoprotein (AFP), and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels were significant independent short-term predictors of HCC, while M2BPGi was insignificant in long-term analyses. Compared to M2BPGi levels <1.0 cut-off index (COI), those with levels ≥2.0 COI had multivariate odds ratios (95% CI) for HCC of 7.40 (2.40–22.78), 6.46 (2.58–16.18), and 2.24 (0.97–5.15), respectively, for prediction of HCC within 1-2, 2–5, and ≥5 years. Higher proportions of individuals had M2BPGi levels ≥2.0 COI in samples closer to HCC diagnosis. Areas under receiver operating characteristic curves for models with M2BPGi, AFP, and HBsAg levels predicting HCC within 1–2, 2–5, and >5 years were 0.84, 0.81, and 0.75. M2BPGi is a strong and independent short-term predictor of HCC in CHB patients.