Alpha-fetoprotein and p53 autoantibodies in patients with chronic hepatitis C

Hepatitis C virus infection is a common cause of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Recently, mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene with generation of circulating autoantibodies to p53 protein have been detected in a significant proportion of patients with different malignancies. Using ELISA methods we assessed alpha-fetoprotein and anti-p53 as serological screening parameters for hepatocellular carcinoma in 147 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C. Liver cirrhosis was histologically diagnosed in 58 patients (39.5%) and a hepatocellular carcinoma confirmed in seven patients (4.8%). Serum alpha-fetoprotein was raised above 20 ng/ml in 26/147 patients and above 100 ng/ml in 5/147 patients. In 6/7 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, alpha-fetoprotein was raised above 20 ng/ml, but only in 3/7 cases above 100 ng/ml, resulting in a sensitivity and specificity of 85.7% and 85.7% (alpha-fetoprotein > 20 ng/ml) and 42.9% and 98.6% (alpha-fetoprotein > 100 ng/ml) for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma, respectively. Autoantibodies to p53 were detected in 3/7 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, but in 0/140 patients without malignancy (sensitivity 42.9%, specificity 100%). Screening for hepatocellular carcinoma was improved by combining alpha-fetoprotein measurement (level > 100 ng/ml) with detection for anti-p53 (sensitivity 71.4%, specificity 98.6%). In conclusion, the presence of anti-p53 was highly specific for malignancy and independent of alpha-fetoprotein status. Further studies including a larger number of patients with hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma are required to investigate whether serological testing for anti-p53 in combination with alpha-fetoprotein might improve the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma in high-risk patients with liver cirrhosis.