Leucocyte adherence inhibition assay for immunodiagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hematocytometer leucocyte adherence inhibition (LAI) assays were performed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue extract and liver cirrhosis extract as nonspecific antigens. Titration experiments revealed that the optimal extract concentration was 200 mu protein/ml. The LAI assays were positive in 28 of 39 HCC cases (71.8%). All three small liver carcinoma cases were positive. LAI assays were negative in all other cancer cases. In the false negative cases (n=11), serum total bilirubin was significantly elevated (p less than .05) and the number of peripheral blood lymphocytes significantly decreased (p less than .005) compared with the positive cases. LAI assays using extracts of human hepatocellular cell line (HUH-6) as antigen were positive in 18 of 27 (66.7%) patients. The results were negative in all liver cirrhosis patients and normal individuals. Furthermore, LAI assays were negative in all HCC and liver cirrhosis patients with extracts of Grawitz's tumor cell line. These results show that the hematocytometer LAI assay using a human culture cancer cell line as a tumor antigen might be useful for diagnosing HCC.