Serum protein 90K/Mac-2BP is an independent predictor of disease severity during hepatitis C virus infection

The serum protein designated 90K/Mac-2BP has been found at elevated concent rations in the sera of patients with various types of cancer and viral infe ctions. The importance of the 90K/Mac-2BP serum concentrations in predictin g the response towards interferon-alpha treatment for hepatitis C virus (HC V) infection prompted us to utilize a new ELISA for soluble human 90K/Mac-2 BP to monitor the serum concentrations of this protein in our HCV-positive patients. Seventy HCV-PCR and anti-HCV antibody positive patients were anal yzed for their serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase. alanine aminotra nsferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, cholinesterase, HCV-viral load, viral subtypes, and SOK/Mac-2BP. On correlation of age and SOK/Mac-2BP levels, we found an apparent correlation that was proved rather to be a strong depend ence of SOK/Mac-2BP concentrations on disease severity/duration, which incr eases with age. Multiple correlation analysis demonstrated the independent nature of SOK/Mac-2BP concentrations, underscoring the potential high utili ty of this new marker. Our data corroborate the potential of the scavenger receptor family protein SOK/Mac-2BP as an independent predictor of disease severity during HCV infection.