Dickkopf-1: As a Diagnostic and Prognostic Serum Marker for Early Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background and aims The aim of the present study was to evaluate serum Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1) as a marker for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as well as for prognostic prediction of early HCC after hepatic resection. Methods One-hundred and four cases of matched fresh tissue specimens of early HCC and adjacent non-tumorous liver tissue (ANLT) were obtained for RT-PCR, qRT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry assays. Sera were collected from patients with early HCC (n=184), benign liver tumors (n=29), cirrhosis (n=174), non-cirrhotic hepatitis B (n=193), and from healthy individuals (n=202). The levels of Dkk-1 and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) were measured. Results The Dkk-1 mRNA and protein levels were both upregulated in early HCC. Serum levels of Dkk-1 in patients with early HCC were significantly higher than in the other 4 groups (p