Serum protein 90K/Mac-2BP is an independent predictor of disease severity during hepatitis C virus infection

The serum protein designated 90K/Mac-2BP has been found at elevated concentrations in the sera of patients with various types of cancer and viral infections. The importance of the 90K/Mac-2BP serum concentrations in predicting the response towards interferon-alpha treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection prompted us to utilize a new ELISA for soluble human 90K/Mac-2BP to monitor the serum concentrations of this protein in our HCV-positive patients. Seventy HCV-PCR and anti-HCV antibody positive patients were analyzed for their serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, cholinesterase, HCV-viral load, viral subtypes, and 90K/Mac-2BP. On correlation of age and 90K/Mac-2BP levels, we found an apparent correlation that was proved rather to be a strong dependence of 90K/Mac-2BP concentrations on disease severity/duration, which increases with age. Multiple correlation analysis demonstrated the independent nature of 90K/Mac-2BP concentrations, underscoring the potential high utility of this new marker. Our data corroborate the potential of the scavenger receptor family protein 90K/Mac-2BP as an independent predictor of disease severity during HCV infection.