Clinicopathologic correlation of serum tissue polypeptide specific antigenin hepatocellular carcinoma

Objective: Recently, tissue polypeptide specific antigen (TIPS) has been in troduced as a cell proliferation marker. Little is known about its clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to clarif y serum TIPS levels and tumor invasiveness of HCC. Methods: Serum TPS level s were determined with a monoclonal TIPS IRMA assay in 69 patients with HCC . A correlation between serum TPS levels and clinical, biochemical, and pat hological features was sought and compared with that of ct-fetoprotein (AFP ). In 57 healthy subjects, 56 patients with biopsy-proven chronic hepatitis and in 49 patients with liver cirrhosis, serum TPS levels were assayed and compared. Results: Serum TPS levels were significantly correlated with glu tamic oxalacetic transaminase (p < 0.0001), glutamic pyruvic transaminase ( p < 0.001), and lactate dehydrogenase (p = 0.027). There tended to be a pos itive relationship between serum TPS levels and tumor size, histological di fferentiation, capsular invasion, portal invasion, and clinical staging, al though it did not reach statistical significance. A significant correlation , however, was observed between AFP and tumor size (p = 0.01), number (p = 0.042), histological grading (p = 0.028), portal invasion (p = 0.009), and clinical staging (p = 0.03). Patients with HCC had significantly higher TPS than healthy subjects (p < 0.001). However, there was substantial overlap between patients with HCC, chronic hepatitis, and liver cirrhosis. Conclusi ons: Our data suggest that serum TIPS is not significantly related to tumor invasiveness in patients with HCC. Serum TPS levels are affected by the pr oliferative activity of the underlying chronic liver disease, which is freq uently associated with HCC in Chinese patients. As a cell proliferation mar ker, serum TPS should be interpreted cautiously in the presence of chronic liver disease. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.