Vitamin K contents in liver tissue of hepatocellular carcinoma patients

Serum protein induced in vitamin K absence-II (PIVKA-II) is used as a tumor marker because it increases at a notably higher rate in patients with hepa tocellular carcinoma. To clarify the mechanism causing the elevation of ser um PIVKA-II, we measured the contents of vitamins K-1 (phylloquinone, PK) a nd K-2 (menaquinone, MK) (MK-4, MK-5, MK-6, MK-7, MK-8, MK-9, MK-10) in liv er tissue resected from 21 hepatic cancer patients (12 patients with hepato cellular carcinoma and 9 patients with metastatic hepatic cancer), using HP LC combined with coulometric reduction and fluorometric detection. In the c ancerous tissue of hepatocellular carcinoma patients, PK, MK-7, MK-8, and M K-10 were significantly lower than that found in the noncancerous tissue. F urthermore, MK-6, MK-7, MK-8, and MK-10 in the cancerous tissue of hepatoce llular carcinoma patients were significantly lower than that in the cancero us tissue of metastatic hepatic cancer patients. These data suggested that one of the mechanisms of the elevation of serum PIVKA-II levels in hepatoce llular carcinoma patients is a vitamin K deficiency in the local cancerous tissue.