MONITORING OF LECTIN-REACTIVE ALPHA-FETOPROTEINS IN PATIENTS WITH HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA TREATED USING TRANSCATHETER ARTERIAL EMBOLIZATION

Objective: To evaluate the value of lectin-reactive ol-fetoprotein (LR -AFP) levels for assessing therapeutic effects and for predicting prog nosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated using tr anscatheter arterial embolization (TAE). Design: Twenty-nine patients with HCC were studied. Methods: LR-AFP levels were measured using lect in-affinity electrophoresis coupled with antibody-affinity blotting. P atients who were initially LR-AFP-positive were divided into those who became negative after TAE and those who remained positive. Patients w ere also classified into groups showing a reduction in total AFP level s of 75% or more and those showing a reduction of less than 75% and in to groups whose tumour size was reduced by 50% or more and those whose tumour size was reduced by less than 50%. Results: Both the length of time between TAE and the recurrence of HCC and the cumulative surviva l Fate differed significantly between the group of patients who became negative after TAE and that which remained positive. However, no sign ificant differences in these parameters were found between the patient s in the two classes for total AFP levels or tumour size. Conclusions: LR-AFP levels appeared to be more useful for predicting clinical resu lts than the serum total AFP value or changes in tumour size.