BACKGROUND: @entity157 ( @entity157 ) is a common @entity5 occurring globally but with a dismal prognosis. @entity10234 ( @entity1298 ) has been reported to be more sensitive and specific than @entity160 ( @entity160 ) in the diagnosis of @entity157 among the White population. Its efficacy among the Black population is yet to be established. The aim of this study therefore, was to determine the relative sensitivity and specificity of @entity10234 and @entity160 in the diagnosis of @entity157 in a cohort of Nigerian @entity1 presenting at a single referral centre. METHODS: Cross-sectional case-control study was carried out using 62 @entity157 @entity1 and 57 controls with benign @entity409 including chronic @entity99 and @entity1575 . Both @entity1298 and @entity160 were tested using enzyme immunoassay methods. RESULTS: Sixty-nine percent of the @entity157 @entity1 presented with @entity5 sizes >5  cm while 31  % presented with @entity5 sizes 3-5  cm. No @entity1 presented with @entity5 sizes <3  cm. The sensitivity and specificity of @entity1298 were 96.8  % and 98.3  % respectively, based on a Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve - derived optimum cut-off level of >140mAU/ml. Similarly, the sensitivity and specificity of @entity160 were 62.9  % and 93.3  % at an ROC - derived optimum cut-off level of 18mAU/ml. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for @entity1298 was 0.99 and was significantly larger than that of @entity160 which was 0.85 (p   <   0.001). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the utility of @entity1298 for the diagnosis of @entity157 among Nigerian @entity1 was higher than that of @entity160 for large @entity5 with diameter >= 3  cm.

Utility of serum XXXX in the diagnosis of @entity157 among Nigerians, a case-control study.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['tumours', 'malignancy', 'tumour'] @entity409 :: ('MESH:D008107', 'Disease') :: ['liver diseases'] @entity1298 :: ('CHEBI:60424', 'Chemical') :: ['DCP'] @entity160 :: ('174', 'Gene') :: ['alpha-fetoprotein', 'Alpha-fetoprotein', 'AFP'] @entity1575 :: ('MESH:D008103', 'Disease') :: ['compensated liver cirrhosis'] @entity157 :: ('MESH:D006528', 'Disease') :: ['HCC', 'Hepatocellular Carcinoma', 'hepatocellular carcinoma'] @entity99 :: ('MESH:D056486', 'Disease') :: ['hepatitis'] @entity10234 :: ('MESH:C008208', 'Chemical') :: ['Des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin', 'des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin']
@entity10234 :: (MESH:C008208,Chemical) :: ['des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin']
