Background & objective: Osteopontin (OPN), a secretory phosphorylated glycoprotein and integrin-binding protein, has been involved in tumorigenesis, progression, invasion, and metastasis. OPN is over-expressed in a variety of human tumors. This study was to evaluate the value of OPN detection in forecasting the postoperative metastasis and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Methods: Plasma OPN level of 56 patients with HCC was detected before operation by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and plasma samples of 23 healthy volunteers were also analyzed as control group. The correlation of plasma OPN level to metastasis and recurrence of HCC was analyzed.
Results: Plasma OPN level was significantly higher in HCC group than in control group [(864.4+/-391.9) microg/L vs. (382.5+/-169.4) microg/L, P<0.001]. During the follow-up, 25 patients had tumor recurred. Plasma OPN level was significantly higher in the patients with early HCC recurrence than in those without recurrence [(961.0+/-411.6) microg/L vs. (744.6+/-323.9) microg/L, P=0.039]. Cox multivariate analysis showed that plasma OPN level, cirrhosis, and tumor size were independent predictors for HCC recurrence and metastasis.
Conclusion: Plasma OPN level may be a potential diagnostic marker for predicting metastasis and recurrence of HCC.