A case of hepatocellular carcinoma with marked hyperfibrinogenemia

The present report concerns a case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with marked hyperfibrinogenemia. The plasma fibrinogen level reached as high as 1,704 mg/dl. Since treatment against HCC resulted in reduction of plasma fibrinogen and PIVKA-II, an HCC marker, the hyperfibrinogenemia appears to be related to HCC. Immunohistochemically, the HCC specimen from this patient reacted strongly with antiserum to human fibrinogen, suggesting that the elevated fibrinogen was due to synthesis of this protein by the carcinoma cells, not to decreased fibrinolytic activity.