So. Ola et al., THE DIAGNOSTIC UTILITY OF SERUM FERRITIN - ESTIMATION IN PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA, Tropical and geographical medicine, 47(6), 1995, pp. 302-304
Serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) status and ferritin levels w
ere measured in 3 groups of subjects: Group A (n=14) with chronic non-
neoplastic liver disease (CNLD), Group B (n=14) with primary hepatocel
lular carcinoma (PHC) and Group C (n=14) comprising healthy matched co
ntrols without liver disease, Serum ferritin values were lowest in Gro
up C, intermediate in Group A and highest in the Group B patients (all
p<0.05). About 79% of the patients with PHC, 43% of those with CNLD a
nd none (0%) of the healthy controls, had hyperferritinaemia (serum fe
rritin >400 ng/ml). Hyperferritinaemia and HBsAg positivity coexisted
in 15% and 73% of the Patients with CNLD and PHC, respectively. Hyperf
erritinaemia and HBsAg were significantly positively related in the pa
tients with PHC (chi(2) 5.09, p<0.05). The predictive indices of hyper
ferritinaemia in chronic liver disease appeared superior for PHC than
for CNLD, and became somewhat enhanced with coexisting HBsAg positivit
y. These results suggest that serum ferritin could be useful as a tumo
ur marker for PHC in patients with established chronic liver disease.