Objective: Based on the current difficulties in early diagnosis of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC), we assessed the values of preoperative serum fibrinogen-like protein 1 (FGL1) by itself and in combination with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) for the diagnosis of HBV-HCC.
Methods: We used ELISA and chemiluminescence assays to detect the serum levels of FGL1 and AFP, respectively.
Results: Serum FGL1 level in the HBV-HCC group was significantly higher than in the chronic HBV (CHBV) group, the liver cirrhosis (LC) group, and the healthy control (HC) group. Serum FGL1 had an outstanding performance in distinguishing AFP-negative HBV-HCC from different control conditions. In the patients with AFP-negative HBV-HCC, the sensitivity of serum FGL1 was high. Moreover, serum FGL1 had a stronger performance than AFP in distinguishing early-stage HBV-HCC.
Conclusions: Serum FGL1 is significantly elevated among patients with HBV-HCC, including those with negative AFP and with disease at an early stage. Hence, serum FGL1 may serve as a potential diagnostic marker in the early diagnosis of HBV-HCC.
Keywords: alpha-fetoprotein; diagnosis; fibrinogen-like protein 1; hepatitis B virus; hepatocellular carcinoma; molecular diagnostics.
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