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Usefulness of the serum KL-6 assay in patients with hepatitis C virus
Yasuji Arase1, Kenji Ikeda, Fumitaka Suzuki
1Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatic Research Unit, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. es9y-ars@asahi-net.or.jp
Insights
Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive patients with chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) over 60 years old showed significantly elevated serum KL-6 levels. This finding aids in understanding liver disease progression and potential biomarkers.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Oncology
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Chronic liver disease caused by Hepatitis C virus (HCV) affects numerous patients globally.
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common complication of chronic liver disease.
- KL-6 is a biomarker investigated for its role in various lung and liver conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate serum KL-6 levels in HCV-positive patients with chronic liver disease.
- To identify factors associated with elevated KL-6 in this patient cohort.
- To explore the relationship between KL-6, HCC, and age.
Main Methods:
- Serum samples from 502 HCV-positive patients were analyzed for KL-6 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
- A cutoff of 500 U/ml was established for elevated KL-6 levels.
- Multivariate analysis was employed to determine predictors of elevated KL-6.
Main Results:
- 6.4% of patients exhibited elevated serum KL-6 levels (>500 U/ml).
- Elevated KL-6 was significantly associated with the presence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (p = 0.0007).
- Older age (>60 years) was also significantly linked to elevated KL-6 levels (p = 0.0085).
Conclusions:
- Serum KL-6 levels are significantly elevated in HCV-positive patients with chronic liver disease who are over 60 years old and have HCC.
- Elevated KL-6 may serve as a potential indicator for HCC in this population.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise role of KL-6 in liver disease progression.
Objective:
The aim of this study is to evaluate the serum level of KL-6 in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive patients with chronic liver disease.
Methods And Results:
Subjects consisted of 502 HCV-positive patients. The serum samples of these patients stored at -80 degrees C were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for KL-6 at the same time. The cutoff point of the serum KL-6 level was defined as 500 U/ml. The serum KL-6 level of the 502 patients ranged between 71 and 2,295 (median, 223) U/ml. Thirty-two of the 502 (6.4%) patients showed an elevated KL-6 level of >500 U/ml. Three of the 32 (9.4%) patients with elevated KL-6 level >500 U/ml had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Multivariate analysis showed that patients achieved elevated KL-6 when: (1) they had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; p = 0.0007), and (2) age was >60 years (p = 0.0085). The HCC rate was 37.5% (12/32) in the patients with elevated KL-6 and 8.3% (39/470) in the patients with normal KL-6 group. The median (range) age was 70 (56-77) years in the patients with elevated KL-6 group and 60 (12-92) years in the patients with normal KL-6.
Conclusion:
The patients with HCC aged >60 years had significantly elevated serum levels of KL-6.
