Published online Jul 15, 2004. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v10.i14.2014
Revised: February 21, 2004
Accepted: March 11, 2004
Published online: July 15, 2004
AIM: To evaluate the correlation between serum vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) levels and clinicopathological features in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
METHODS: Ninety-six patients who underwent HCC resection were recruited in the study. Preoperative serum levels of soluble VCAM-1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
RESULTS: Serum VCAM-1 level in HCC patients was inversely correlated with platelet count (r = -0.431, P < 0.001) and serum albumin level (r = -0.279, P < 0.001), and positively correlated with serum bilirubin level (r = 0.379, P < 0.001). Serum VCAM-1 level was not associated with tumor characteristics such as tumor size, venous invasion, presence of microsatellite nodules, tumor grade and tumor stage. Serum VCAM-1 level was significantly higher in HCC patients with cirrhosis compared with those without cirrhosis (median 704 vs 546 ng/mL, P < 0.001). Furthermore, a significantly better disease-free survival was observed in HCC patients with low VCAM-1 level (P = 0.019).
CONCLUSION: Serum VCAM-1 level appears to reflect the severity of underlying chronic liver disease rather than the tumor status in HCC patients, and low preoperative serum VCAM-1 level is predictive of better disease-free survival after surgery.