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BACKGROUND:The carcinogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a multi-factorial, multistep and complex process. Its prognosis is poor, and early diagnosis and monitoring metastasis of HCC is of the utmost importance. Circulating diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers could be used in proper postoperative treatment of patients at an early stage of HCC development. This review summarizes recent studies of the speciifc biomarkers in diagnosis and monitoring metastasis or postoperative recurrence of HCC. DATA SOURCES:An English-language literature search was conducted using MEDLINE (June 1998 to September 2006) on researches of some valuable speciifc biomarkers in diagnosis and monitoring metastasis or postoperative recurrence of HCC. RESULTS:Hepatoma tissues can synthesize various tumor-related proteins, polypeptides, and isoenzymes, such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), hepatoma-speciifc gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (HS-GGT), etc, and then secrete into blood. The valuable early diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers could predict the development and metastases of HCC. Recent researches have conifrmed that circulating hepatoma-speciifc AFP subfraction, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, HS-GGT, and free insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-Ⅱ may be more speciifc markers than total AFP level for early diagnosis for HCC. The circulating genetic markers such as AFP-mRNA, TGF-β1-mRNA, IGF-Ⅱ-mRNA, etc from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HCC patients have been most extensively used in monitoring distal metastasis or postoperative recurrence of HCC. CONCLUSIONS:Hepatoma tissues synthesize and secrete valuable molecular markers into blood. The analyses of circulating hepatoma-speciifc biomarkers are usefulto early diagnosis of HCC or monitoring metastasis or postoperative recurrence of HCC.