Open AccessALPHA FETOPROTEIN;
Author(s) -
Syed Muhammad Ali Shah,
Zamir Butt,
M. Waqas
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the professional medical journal/the professional medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2071-7733
pISSN - 1024-8919
DOI - 10.29309/tpmj/2017.24.05.1291
Subject(s) - medicine , hepatocellular carcinoma , cirrhosis , gastroenterology , chronic liver disease , chronic hepatitis , liver disease , alpha fetoprotein , abdominal ultrasound , pathology , immunology , virus
BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary tumor of theliver, which develops in the setting of chronic liver disease, particularly in patients with chronichepatitis B and C in almost 80% patients. Although there are no specific screening tests fordiagnosis of HCC but alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and abdominal ultrasound are commonly used.AFP >400 ng/ml is considered diagnostic for HCC. Objective: The objective of study wasto validate the use of alphafetoprotein as screening test for HCC due to chronic HCV. StudyDesign: Observational cross-sectional. Period: March 2014 to August 2016. Setting: AzizBhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital Gujrat. Materials and Methods: 134 patients aged >35years having liver cirrhosis due to chronic HCV and diagnosed with HCC using biphasic CTscan were included and were followed for 1 year. Serum AFP was divided in 3 categories anda value 400ng/ml - diagnostic of HCC.Liver nodules size and site was noted and divided in 4 categories. Severity of liver diseasewas calculated using Child Pugh Score. Analysis was done using SPSS 20.0. Results: AFP isdiagnostic (>400 ng/ml) in only 29.9% of patients with sensitivity of 43.3% at cut off value of400 ng/ml and is significantly associated with severity of liver disease. Conclusion: AFP cannotbe used as screening test for HCC in patients with cirrhosis due to chronic HCV. Abdominalultrasound should be used for early detection of HCC due to chronic hepatitis C.