Vitronectin (VTN): A Novel Diagnostic and Prognostic Marker for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) On Top Of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Related Diseases
Authors: Bakir Amal S , Al-Kilany Hesham H , Ghait Ramy S , Badawy Hamed S 
Published: October 2021

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and the most common form of primary liver cancer.

Aim of the study

to study the level of serum vitronectin (VTN) compared to AFP in diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma on top of HCV-related liver diseases.

Patients and Methods

This prospective observational study included a total number of 60 subjects who were divided into 4 groups: Group 1: include 10 normal persons. Group 2: included 10 patients who have Hepatitis C Virus infection. Group 3: included 20 cirrhotic patients. Group 4: included 20 patients with HCC (on top of hepatitis C virus related cirrhosis), in which we tested them for vitronectin before first intervention and after intervention within 3 months.

Results

The mean age of the cases showed high statistically significant difference between the study groups (P &lt; 0.001).There were a total number of 29 males and 31 females with significant difference in the sex distribution between the study groups. 80% of the cases in HCC group were males. This sex distribution can be attributed to high prevalence of risk factors like smoking, DM and HCV in males in addition to possible role of sex hormones. On analyzing laboratory characters of the studied groups, we found statistically significant difference between cirrhosis group and non-cirrhotic groups with low platelets count, high serum creatinine, high INR, lower serum albumin, high bilirubin and higher AST. The median level of AFP in group 4 (HCC patients) was 110 IU/ml which was higher than its median value in the other study groups with high level of significance between the study groups. The median level of vitronectin levels in the different study groups didn’t reveal a statistically significant difference between the different study groups. Serum level of vitronectin in group 3 (cirrhotic patients) has no statistically significant difference between the three subgroups according to child's classification. By the analysis of serum level of AFP and vitronectin level in group IV (HCC patients) before and after treatment, the median level of AFP was significantly lower than its level before intervention, while the decrease in vitronectin level was statistically insignificant after intervention.

Conclusions

Chronic HCV infection and its serious complicatons specially HCC are still representing a health challenge in Egypt, reflecting wide HCV prevalence and late diagnosis. Serum AFP alone has an unreliable role in HCC surveillance as it has low sensitivity because it may be normal in up to 40% of HCC cases especially early stages of the tumor, and low specificity as its levels may be elevated in conditions other than HCC as cirrhosis or exacerbation of chronic hepatitis or even in some cases of cholangiocarcinoma. AFP is useful in clinical practice in screening and diagnosis of HCC in association with US and CT. According to our study, we can't use Vitronectin alone in diagnosis and prognosis of HCC on top of cirrhosis related to HCV +ve infection. It didn’t reveal a statistically significant difference between the different study groups ,so it may require further study and research.