Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2025

Assessment of Mitochondrial Functions and Cell Viability in Renal Cells Overexpressing Protein Kinase C Isozymes
Published on: January 7, 2013
Protein kinase C delta enhances the diagnostic performance of hepatocellular carcinoma
Chika Nakagawa1, Tsunekazu Oikawa1, Kohji Yamada2
1Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Background:
The conventional markers for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), α-fetoprotein (AFP) and des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (DCP), have several limitations; both have low sensitivity in patients with early-stage HCC; low sensitivity for AFP with HCC after eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV); low specificity for DCP in patients with non-viral HCC, which is increasing worldwide; low specificity for AFP in patients with liver injury; and low specificity for DCP in patients treated with warfarin. To overcome these issues, the identification of novel biomarkers is an unmet need.
Objective:
This study aimed to assess the usefulness of serum protein kinase C delta (PKCδ) for detecting these HCCs.
Methods:
PKCδ levels were measured using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 363 chronic liver disease (CLD) patients with and without HCC.
Results:
In both viral and non-viral CLD, PKCδ can detect HCCs with high sensitivity and specificity, particularly in the very early stages. Notably, the value and sensitivity of PKCδ were not modified by HCV elimination status. Liver injury and warfarin administration, which are known to cause false-positive results for conventional markers, did not modify PKCδ levels.
Conclusions:
PKCδ is an enhanced biomarker for the diagnosis of HCC that compensates for the drawbacks of conventional markers.
More Related Videos
12:24A Three-Dimensional Spheroid Model to Investigate the Tumor-Stromal Interaction in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Published on: September 30, 2021
07:32Author Spotlight: Investigating Immune Cell Dynamics in the Tumor Microenvironment — Challenges and Innovations in Cancer Prognosis
Published on: April 12, 2024
Related Concept Videos
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
MAPK Signaling Cascades