Increase of serum des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin in alcoholic liver diseasewithout hepatocellular carcinoma

The purpose of this study is to determine serum des-gamma-carboxy prothromb in (DCP) levels in benign liver diseases by a new sensitive method, and to demonstrate the elevation of serum DCP in alcoholic liver disease (ALD) wit hout hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Median values of serum DCP were 16.2 m AU/ml (range: 3.2 to 1570 mAU/ml) in ALD and 16.7 mAU/ml (1.2 to 75.4 mAU/m l) in viral liver disease (VLD). Using the cut-off value of 40 mAU/ml as a tumor marker for HCC, 21% (11/52) was positive in ALD and 2% (1/57) was pos itive in VLD (p = 0.0014, Fisher's exact probability test), and 27% (9/33) was positive in alcoholic liver cirrhosis and 3% (1/39) was positive in vir al liver cirrhosis (p = 0.0042, Fisher's exact probability test). The posit ive rate of DCP was significantly (p < 0.001, Spearman's rank correlation t est) correlated with the severity of liver disease in ALD. Serum vitamin K level was not decreased in cases with ALD. In a demonstrable case, serum DC P was decreased after abstinence and was increased again after the beginnin g of ethanol intake, suggesting the involvement of ethanol to the elevation of serum DCP in ALD. In conclusion, serum DCP was significantly elevated i n ALD, compared with VLD, although the mechanism of the elevation of DCP wa s not clarified. Ethanol intake may act, in part, on the increase of serum DCP in ALD.