[Prospective study on the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma by using alpha-fetoprotein reactive to lentil lectin]

Levels of alpha-fetoprotein reactive to lentil lectin (AFP-R-L) were monitored in 27 patients with 20-400 micrograms AFP/L and negative imaging. These cases finally were proven to be affected by hepatocellular carcinoma. AFP-R-L above 25% was used to define the positive result for hepatocellular carcinoma. The positivity of AFP-R-L was 63%. At the same time, AFP-R-L was detected in 71 cases of chronic liver diseases. All but one had negative AFP-R-L values. The results suggested that AFP-R-L could make a dissection 3-28 months earlier than positive imaging. An accuracy of predicting hepatoma with positive AFP-R-L was 94%. So the diagnosis of hepatoma with negative imaging could be early made by measurement of AFP-R-L.