Vitamin B12 and its binding proteins in hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic liver diseases. (September 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Simonsen, Kira; Rode, Anthony; Nicoll, Amanda; Villadsen, Gerda; Espelund, Ulrick; Lim, Lucy; Angus, Peter; Arachchi, Niranjan; Vilstrup, Hendrik; Nexo, Ebba; Grønbæk, Henning
• Is Part Of: Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology. Volume 49:Number 9(2014)
• Page Start: 1096
• Page End: 1102
• Publication Date: 2014-09
• Subjects: Gastroenterology -- Periodicals; Digestive organs -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 616.33
• DOI: 10.3109/00365521.2014.921325
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0036-5521

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <bold> <italic>Background.</italic> </bold> The vitamin B<sub>12</sub> (B<sub>12</sub>)-binding protein haptocorrin (HC) has proven to be a potentially useful biomarker in patients with fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Little is known concerning the level of HC and other B<sub>12</sub>-related proteins in patients with HCC as compared to patients with other chronic liver diseases (CLDs) and healthy controls. We hypothesized that HC could be a biomarker of HCC. <bold><italic>Aims.</italic></bold> To investigate levels of HC and B<sub>12</sub>-related proteins in HCC compared to CLDs and healthy controls. <bold><italic>Methods.</italic></bold> We investigated two patient populations: A cross-sectional cohort of HCC patients (<italic>n</italic> = 130), CLD patients (<italic>n</italic> = 102) and healthy controls (<italic>n</italic> = 46) and a cohort of 38 HCC patients studied at baseline and 1, 4, and 12 weeks following ablative treatment. Patients were evaluated by standard biochemistry, Child–Pugh-score and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification. We analyzed total B<sub>12</sub> by routine methods and HC, transcobalamin (TC), B<sub>12</sub> saturated TC (holoTC), and the soluble cell surface receptor for holoTC (sCD320) by in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. <bold><italic>Results.</italic></bold> HC showed higher median (range) levels for both HCC (590 [290–5860]) and CLD patients (620 [310–4010]) compared to controls (460 [250–2020]) (<italic>p</italic> < 0.01). Total B<sub>12</sub>, TC, holoTC, and sCD320 showed elevated levels in both HCC and CLD compared to controls. Only holoTC changed following treatment, without a concurrent change in TC. <bold><italic>Conclusion.</italic></bold> B<sub>12</sub> and B<sub>12</sub>-related proteins (total B<sub>12</sub>, HC, TC, holoTC, and sCD320) show elevations in both HCC and CLD patients compared to controls, suggesting a relation to CLD in general rather than to primary liver cancer. Thus, HC is not useful as a biomarker for HCC.</p> </abstract>