THE DIAGNOSTIC UTILITY OF SERUM FERRITIN - ESTIMATION IN PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA

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.