So. Ola et al., THE DIAGNOSTIC UTILITY OF SERUM FERRITIN ESTIMATION IN NIGERIAN PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA, Nutrition, 11(5), 1995, pp. 532-534
Serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) status and ferritin levels w
ere measured in three groups of Nigerian subjects: Group A (n = 14) wi
th non-neoplastic disease (CNLD); Group B (n = 14) with primary hepato
cellular carcinoma (PHC); and Group C (n = 14) of healthy matched cont
rols. Serum ferritin values were lowest in Group C, intermediate in Gr
oup A, and highest in the Group B patients (all p < 0.05). About 79% o
f the patients with PHC, 43% of those with CNLD, and none (0%) of the
healthy controls had hyperferritinemia (serum ferritin > 400 ng/ml). H
yperferritinemia and HBsAg positivity coexisted in 15% and 73% of the
patients with CNLD and PHC, respectively. Hyperferritinemia and HBsAg
were significantly positively related in the patients with PHC (chi(2)
5.09, p < 0.05). The predictive indices of hyperferritinemia in chron
ic liver disease appeared superior for PHC than for CNLD, and became s
omewhat enhanced with coexisting HBsAg positivity. These results sugge
st that serum ferritin could be useful as a tumor marker for PHC in Ni
gerian patients with established chronic liver disease.