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Yeo YH, Lee YT, Tseng HR, Zhu Y, You S, Agopian VG, Yang JD. Alpha-fetoprotein: Past, present, and future. Hepatol Commun 2024; 8:e0422. [PMID: 38619448 PMCID: PMC11019827 DOI: 10.1097/hc9.0000000000000422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a glycoprotein that plays an important role in immune regulation with critical involvement in early human development and maintaining the immune balance during pregnancy. Postfetal development, the regulatory mechanisms controlling AFP undergo a shift and AFP gene transcription is suppressed. Instead, these enhancers refocus their activity to maintain albumin gene transcription throughout adulthood. During the postnatal period, AFP expression can increase in the setting of hepatocyte injury, regeneration, and malignant transformation. It is the first oncoprotein discovered and is routinely used as part of a screening strategy for HCC. AFP has been shown to be a powerful prognostic biomarker, and multiple HCC prognosis models confirmed the independent prognostic utility of AFP. AFP is also a useful predictive biomarker for monitoring the treatment response of HCC. In addition to its role as a biomarker, AFP plays important roles in immune modulation to promote tumorigenesis and thus has been investigated as a therapeutic target in HCC. In this review article, we aim to provide an overview of AFP, encompassing the discovery, biological role, and utility as an HCC biomarker in combination with other biomarkers and how it impacts clinical practice and future direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yee Hui Yeo
- Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Yi-Te Lee
- Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Hsian-Rong Tseng
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, California NanoSystems Institute, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Yazhen Zhu
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, California NanoSystems Institute, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Ronald Reagan Medical Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Sungyong You
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Surgery, Division of Cancer Biology and Therapeutics, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Vatche G. Agopian
- Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ju Dong Yang
- Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Comprehensive Transplant Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
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2
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Fares S, Wehrle CJ, Hong H, Sun K, Jiao C, Zhang M, Gross A, Allkushi E, Uysal M, Kamath S, Ma WW, Modaresi Esfeh J, Linganna MW, Khalil M, Pita A, Kim J, Walsh RM, Miller C, Hashimoto K, Schlegel A, Kwon DCH, Aucejo F. Emerging and Clinically Accepted Biomarkers for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1453. [PMID: 38672535 PMCID: PMC11047909 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16081453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death and the sixth most diagnosed malignancy worldwide. Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is the traditional, ubiquitous biomarker for HCC. However, there has been an increasing call for the use of multiple biomarkers to optimize care for these patients. AFP, AFP-L3, and prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence II (DCP) have described clinical utility for HCC, but unfortunately, they also have well established and significant limitations. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), genomic glycosylation, and even totally non-invasive salivary metabolomics and/or micro-RNAS demonstrate great promise for early detection and long-term surveillance, but still require large-scale prospective validation to definitively validate their clinical validity. This review aims to provide an update on clinically available and emerging biomarkers for HCC, focusing on their respective clinical strengths and weaknesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sami Fares
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.F.); (H.H.); (K.S.); (C.J.); (M.Z.); (A.G.); (E.A.); (M.U.); (M.K.); (A.P.); (J.K.); (R.M.W.); (K.H.); (A.S.); (D.C.H.K.)
| | - Chase J. Wehrle
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.F.); (H.H.); (K.S.); (C.J.); (M.Z.); (A.G.); (E.A.); (M.U.); (M.K.); (A.P.); (J.K.); (R.M.W.); (K.H.); (A.S.); (D.C.H.K.)
| | - Hanna Hong
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.F.); (H.H.); (K.S.); (C.J.); (M.Z.); (A.G.); (E.A.); (M.U.); (M.K.); (A.P.); (J.K.); (R.M.W.); (K.H.); (A.S.); (D.C.H.K.)
| | - Keyue Sun
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.F.); (H.H.); (K.S.); (C.J.); (M.Z.); (A.G.); (E.A.); (M.U.); (M.K.); (A.P.); (J.K.); (R.M.W.); (K.H.); (A.S.); (D.C.H.K.)
| | - Chunbao Jiao
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.F.); (H.H.); (K.S.); (C.J.); (M.Z.); (A.G.); (E.A.); (M.U.); (M.K.); (A.P.); (J.K.); (R.M.W.); (K.H.); (A.S.); (D.C.H.K.)
| | - Mingyi Zhang
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.F.); (H.H.); (K.S.); (C.J.); (M.Z.); (A.G.); (E.A.); (M.U.); (M.K.); (A.P.); (J.K.); (R.M.W.); (K.H.); (A.S.); (D.C.H.K.)
| | - Abby Gross
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.F.); (H.H.); (K.S.); (C.J.); (M.Z.); (A.G.); (E.A.); (M.U.); (M.K.); (A.P.); (J.K.); (R.M.W.); (K.H.); (A.S.); (D.C.H.K.)
| | - Erlind Allkushi
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.F.); (H.H.); (K.S.); (C.J.); (M.Z.); (A.G.); (E.A.); (M.U.); (M.K.); (A.P.); (J.K.); (R.M.W.); (K.H.); (A.S.); (D.C.H.K.)
| | - Melis Uysal
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.F.); (H.H.); (K.S.); (C.J.); (M.Z.); (A.G.); (E.A.); (M.U.); (M.K.); (A.P.); (J.K.); (R.M.W.); (K.H.); (A.S.); (D.C.H.K.)
| | - Suneel Kamath
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.K.); (W.W.M.)
| | - Wen Wee Ma
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.K.); (W.W.M.)
| | - Jamak Modaresi Esfeh
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (J.M.E.); (M.W.L.)
| | - Maureen Whitsett Linganna
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (J.M.E.); (M.W.L.)
| | - Mazhar Khalil
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.F.); (H.H.); (K.S.); (C.J.); (M.Z.); (A.G.); (E.A.); (M.U.); (M.K.); (A.P.); (J.K.); (R.M.W.); (K.H.); (A.S.); (D.C.H.K.)
| | - Alejandro Pita
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.F.); (H.H.); (K.S.); (C.J.); (M.Z.); (A.G.); (E.A.); (M.U.); (M.K.); (A.P.); (J.K.); (R.M.W.); (K.H.); (A.S.); (D.C.H.K.)
| | - Jaekeun Kim
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.F.); (H.H.); (K.S.); (C.J.); (M.Z.); (A.G.); (E.A.); (M.U.); (M.K.); (A.P.); (J.K.); (R.M.W.); (K.H.); (A.S.); (D.C.H.K.)
| | - R. Matthew Walsh
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.F.); (H.H.); (K.S.); (C.J.); (M.Z.); (A.G.); (E.A.); (M.U.); (M.K.); (A.P.); (J.K.); (R.M.W.); (K.H.); (A.S.); (D.C.H.K.)
| | - Charles Miller
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.F.); (H.H.); (K.S.); (C.J.); (M.Z.); (A.G.); (E.A.); (M.U.); (M.K.); (A.P.); (J.K.); (R.M.W.); (K.H.); (A.S.); (D.C.H.K.)
| | - Koji Hashimoto
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.F.); (H.H.); (K.S.); (C.J.); (M.Z.); (A.G.); (E.A.); (M.U.); (M.K.); (A.P.); (J.K.); (R.M.W.); (K.H.); (A.S.); (D.C.H.K.)
| | - Andrea Schlegel
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.F.); (H.H.); (K.S.); (C.J.); (M.Z.); (A.G.); (E.A.); (M.U.); (M.K.); (A.P.); (J.K.); (R.M.W.); (K.H.); (A.S.); (D.C.H.K.)
| | - David Choon Hyuck Kwon
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.F.); (H.H.); (K.S.); (C.J.); (M.Z.); (A.G.); (E.A.); (M.U.); (M.K.); (A.P.); (J.K.); (R.M.W.); (K.H.); (A.S.); (D.C.H.K.)
| | - Federico Aucejo
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (S.F.); (H.H.); (K.S.); (C.J.); (M.Z.); (A.G.); (E.A.); (M.U.); (M.K.); (A.P.); (J.K.); (R.M.W.); (K.H.); (A.S.); (D.C.H.K.)
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3
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Singal AG, Llovet JM, Yarchoan M, Mehta N, Heimbach JK, Dawson LA, Jou JH, Kulik LM, Agopian VG, Marrero JA, Mendiratta-Lala M, Brown DB, Rilling WS, Goyal L, Wei AC, Taddei TH. AASLD Practice Guidance on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatology 2023; 78:1922-1965. [PMID: 37199193 PMCID: PMC10663390 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 168.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Amit G. Singal
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Josep M. Llovet
- Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Mark Yarchoan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Neil Mehta
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Laura A. Dawson
- Radiation Medicine Program/University Health Network, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Janice H. Jou
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Laura M. Kulik
- Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Vatche G. Agopian
- The Dumont–University of California, Los Angeles, Transplant Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jorge A. Marrero
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mishal Mendiratta-Lala
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Daniel B. Brown
- Department of Radiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - William S. Rilling
- Division of Interventional Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Lipika Goyal
- Department of Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Alice C. Wei
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Tamar H. Taddei
- Department of Medicine (Digestive Diseases), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
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4
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Ugonabo O, Udoh UAS, Rajan PK, Reeves H, Arcand C, Nakafuku Y, Joshi T, Finley R, Pierre SV, Sanabria JR. The Current Status of the Liver Liquid Biopsy in MASH Related HCC: Overview and Future Directions. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1369. [PMID: 37759769 PMCID: PMC10526956 DOI: 10.3390/biom13091369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is one of the major risk factors for chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The incidence of MASH in Western countries continues to rise, driving HCC as the third cause of cancer-related death worldwide. HCC has become a major global health challenge, partly from the obesity epidemic promoting metabolic cellular disturbances but also from the paucity of biomarkers for its early detection. Over 50% of HCC cases are clinically present at a late stage, where curative measures are no longer beneficial. Currently, there is a paucity of both specific and sensitive biological markers for the early-stage detection of HCC. The search for biological markers in the diagnosis of early HCC in high-risk populations is intense. We described the potential role of surrogates for a liver biopsy in the screening and monitoring of patients at risk for nesting HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Onyinye Ugonabo
- Department of Medicine, Marshall University School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25701, USA; (O.U.); (T.J.)
| | - Utibe-Abasi Sunday Udoh
- Marshall Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, Marshall University School of Medicine, Huntington, WV 25703, USA; (U.-A.S.U.); (P.K.R.); (Y.N.); (S.V.P.)
- Department of Surgery, Marshall University School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25701, USA; (H.R.); (C.A.); (R.F.)
| | - Pradeep Kumar Rajan
- Marshall Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, Marshall University School of Medicine, Huntington, WV 25703, USA; (U.-A.S.U.); (P.K.R.); (Y.N.); (S.V.P.)
- Department of Surgery, Marshall University School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25701, USA; (H.R.); (C.A.); (R.F.)
| | - Heather Reeves
- Department of Surgery, Marshall University School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25701, USA; (H.R.); (C.A.); (R.F.)
| | - Christina Arcand
- Department of Surgery, Marshall University School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25701, USA; (H.R.); (C.A.); (R.F.)
| | - Yuto Nakafuku
- Marshall Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, Marshall University School of Medicine, Huntington, WV 25703, USA; (U.-A.S.U.); (P.K.R.); (Y.N.); (S.V.P.)
- Department of Surgery, Marshall University School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25701, USA; (H.R.); (C.A.); (R.F.)
| | - Tejas Joshi
- Department of Medicine, Marshall University School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25701, USA; (O.U.); (T.J.)
| | - Rob Finley
- Department of Surgery, Marshall University School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25701, USA; (H.R.); (C.A.); (R.F.)
| | - Sandrine V. Pierre
- Marshall Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, Marshall University School of Medicine, Huntington, WV 25703, USA; (U.-A.S.U.); (P.K.R.); (Y.N.); (S.V.P.)
| | - Juan Ramon Sanabria
- Marshall Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, Marshall University School of Medicine, Huntington, WV 25703, USA; (U.-A.S.U.); (P.K.R.); (Y.N.); (S.V.P.)
- Department of Surgery, Marshall University School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25701, USA; (H.R.); (C.A.); (R.F.)
- Department of Nutrition and Metabolomic Core Facility, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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5
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Taru MG, Lupsor-Platon M. Exploring Opportunities to Enhance the Screening and Surveillance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) through Risk Stratification Algorithms Incorporating Ultrasound Elastography. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4097. [PMID: 37627125 PMCID: PMC10452922 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15164097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), with its progressive form, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), has emerged as a significant public health concern, affecting over 30% of the global population. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a complication associated with both cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic NAFLD, has shown a significant increase in incidence. A substantial proportion of NAFLD-related HCC occurs in non-cirrhotic livers, highlighting the need for improved risk stratification and surveillance strategies. This comprehensive review explores the potential role of liver ultrasound elastography as a risk assessment tool for HCC development in NAFLD and highlights the importance of effective screening tools for early, cost-effective detection and improved management of NAFLD-related HCC. The integration of non-invasive tools and algorithms into risk stratification strategies could have the capacity to enhance NAFLD-related HCC screening and surveillance effectiveness. Alongside exploring the potential advancement of non-invasive tools and algorithms for effectively stratifying HCC risk in NAFLD, we offer essential perspectives that could enable readers to improve the personalized assessment of NAFLD-related HCC risk through a more methodical screening approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madalina-Gabriela Taru
- Hepatology Department, Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology “Octavian Fodor”, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Monica Lupsor-Platon
- “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Medical Imaging Department, Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology “Octavian Fodor”, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Lee YT, Fujiwara N, Yang JD, Hoshida Y. Risk stratification and early detection biomarkers for precision HCC screening. Hepatology 2023; 78:319-362. [PMID: 36082510 PMCID: PMC9995677 DOI: 10.1002/hep.32779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) mortality remains high primarily due to late diagnosis as a consequence of failed early detection. Professional societies recommend semi-annual HCC screening in at-risk patients with chronic liver disease to increase the likelihood of curative treatment receipt and improve survival. However, recent dynamic shift of HCC etiologies from viral to metabolic liver diseases has significantly increased the potential target population for the screening, whereas annual incidence rate has become substantially lower. Thus, with the contemporary HCC etiologies, the traditional screening approach might not be practical and cost-effective. HCC screening consists of (i) definition of rational at-risk population, and subsequent (ii) repeated application of early detection tests to the population at regular intervals. The suboptimal performance of the currently available HCC screening tests highlights an urgent need for new modalities and strategies to improve early HCC detection. In this review, we overview recent developments of clinical, molecular, and imaging-based tools to address the current challenge, and discuss conceptual framework and approaches of their clinical translation and implementation. These encouraging progresses are expected to transform the current "one-size-fits-all" HCC screening into individualized precision approaches to early HCC detection and ultimately improve the poor HCC prognosis in the foreseeable future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Te Lee
- California NanoSystems Institute, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Naoto Fujiwara
- Liver Tumor Translational Research Program, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Ju Dong Yang
- Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California; Comprehensive Transplant Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Yujin Hoshida
- Liver Tumor Translational Research Program, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
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7
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Xu FQ, Zhang Z, Hu A, Huang DS. Circulating biomarkers for diagnosis and management of hepatocellular carcinoma. Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2023; 31:404-411. [DOI: 10.11569/wcjd.v31.i10.404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer, but the prognosis of HCC patients is poor due to the difficulty of early diagnosis and high recurrence rate. Therefore, it is particularly important to seek effective methods for early diagnosis and early recurrence monitoring after treatment. Circulating biomarkers play an important role in the diagnosis, progression monitoring, and prognosis evaluation of HCC. In recent years, with the discovery of a variety of new biomarkers, the development of biomarkers-related models, and the emergence of liquid biopsy technology, the diagnosis and treatment of HCC have been greatly improved. This article reviews the latest research advances of biomarkers in the diagnosis and treatment of HCC, aiming to provide new ideas for improving the prognosis of HCC patients.
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8
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McMahon B, Cohen C, Brown Jr RS, El-Serag H, Ioannou GN, Lok AS, Roberts LR, Singal AG, Block T. Opportunities to address gaps in early detection and improve outcomes of liver cancer. JNCI Cancer Spectr 2023; 7:pkad034. [PMID: 37144952 PMCID: PMC10212536 DOI: 10.1093/jncics/pkad034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Death rates from primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC]) have continued to rise in the United States over the recent decades despite the availability of an increasing range of treatment modalities, including new systemic therapies. Prognosis is strongly associated with tumor stage at diagnosis; however, most cases of HCC are diagnosed beyond an early stage. This lack of early detection has contributed to low survival rates. Professional society guidelines recommend semiannual ultrasound-based HCC screening for at-risk populations, yet HCC surveillance continues to be underused in clinical practice. On April 28, 2022, the Hepatitis B Foundation convened a workshop to discuss the most pressing challenges and barriers to early HCC detection and the need to better leverage existing and emerging tools and technologies that could improve HCC screening and early detection. In this commentary, we summarize technical, patient-level, provider-level, and system-level challenges and opportunities to improve processes and outcomes across the HCC screening continuum. We highlight promising approaches to HCC risk stratification and screening, including new biomarkers, advanced imaging incorporating artificial intelligence, and algorithms for risk stratification. Workshop participants emphasized that action to improve early detection and reduce HCC mortality is urgently needed, noting concern that many of the challenges we face today are the same or similar to those faced a decade ago and that HCC mortality rates have not meaningfully improved. Increasing the uptake of HCC screening was identified as a short-term priority while developing and validating better screening tests and risk-appropriate surveillance strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian McMahon
- Liver Disease and Hepatitis Program, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | | | - Robert S Brown Jr
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hashem El-Serag
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - George N Ioannou
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Anna S Lok
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lewis R Roberts
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Amit G Singal
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Timothy Block
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute and Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
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9
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Li D, Jia S, Wang S, Hu L. Glycoproteomic Analysis of Urinary Extracellular Vesicles for Biomarkers of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28031293. [PMID: 36770959 PMCID: PMC9919939 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28031293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for the most common form of primary liver cancer cases and constitutes a major health problem worldwide. The diagnosis of HCC is still challenging due to the low sensitivity and specificity of the serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) diagnostic method. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are heterogeneous populations of phospholipid bilayer-enclosed vesicles that can be found in many biological fluids, and have great potential as circulating biomarkers for biomarker discovery and disease diagnosis. Protein glycosylation plays crucial roles in many biological processes and aberrant glycosylation is a hallmark of cancer. Herein, we performed a comprehensive glycoproteomic profiling of urinary EVs at the intact N-glycopeptide level to screen potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of HCC. With the control of the spectrum-level false discovery rate ≤1%, 756 intact N-glycopeptides with 154 N-glycosites, 158 peptide backbones, and 107 N-glycoproteins were identified. Out of 756 intact N-glycopeptides, 344 differentially expressed intact N-glycopeptides (DEGPs) were identified, corresponding to 308 upregulated and 36 downregulated N-glycopeptides, respectively. Compared to normal control (NC), the glycoproteins LG3BP, PIGR and KNG1 are upregulated in HCC-derived EVs, while ASPP2 is downregulated. The findings demonstrated that specific site-specific glycoforms in these glycoproteins from urinary EVs could be potential and efficient non-invasive candidate biomarkers for HCC diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dejun Li
- Center for Supramolecular Chemical Biology, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, Reproductive Medicine Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Shengnan Jia
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Medicine, The Second Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China
- Correspondence: (S.J.); (L.H.)
| | - Shuyue Wang
- Center for Supramolecular Chemical Biology, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Lianghai Hu
- Center for Supramolecular Chemical Biology, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
- Correspondence: (S.J.); (L.H.)
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10
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Wang M, Singal AG, Parikh N, Kono Y, Marrero J, Mehta A. A Biomarker Panel Based upon AFP, Fucosylated Kininogen and PEG-Precipitated IgG Is Highly Accurate for the Early Detection Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Cirrhosis in Phase II and Phase III Biomarker Evaluation. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:5970. [PMID: 36497452 PMCID: PMC9740205 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14235970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously identified alterations in glycosylation on serum proteins from patients with HCC and developed plate-based assays using lectins to detect the change in glycosylation. However, heterophilic antibodies, which increase with non-malignant liver disease, compromised these assays. To address this, we developed a method of polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation that removed the contaminating IgG and IgM but allowed for the lectin detection of the relevant glycoprotein. We found that this PEG-precipitated material itself could differentiate between cirrhosis and HCC. In the analysis of three training cohorts and one validation cohort, consisting of 571 patients, PEG-IgG had AUC values that ranged from 0.713 to 0.810. In the validation cohort, which contained samples from patients at a time of 1-6 months prior to HCC detection or 7+ months prior to detection, the AUC of this marker remained consistent (0.813 and 0.846, respectively). When this marker was incorporated into a biomarker algorithm that also consisted of AFP and fucosylated kininogen, the AUROC increased to 0.816-0.883 in the training cohort and was 0.909 in the external validation cohort. Biomarker performance was also examined though the analysis of partial ROC curves, at false positive values less than 10% (90-ROC), ≤20% (80-ROC) or ≤30% (70-ROC), which highlighted the algorithm's improvement over the individual markers at clinically relevant specificity values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjun Wang
- Basic Science Building Room 310, Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Amit G. Singal
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern, 5959 Harry Hines Blvd POB I Suite 420B, Dallas, TX 75201, USA
| | - Neehar Parikh
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yuko Kono
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jorge Marrero
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard South Pavilion, 4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Anand Mehta
- Basic Science Building Room 310, Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
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11
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Circulating biomarkers in the diagnosis and management of hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 19:670-681. [PMID: 35676420 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-022-00620-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent and lethal causes of cancer-related death worldwide. The treatment of HCC remains challenging and is largely predicated on early diagnosis. Surveillance of high-risk groups using abdominal ultrasonography, with or without serum analysis of α-fetoprotein (AFP), can permit detection of early, potentially curable tumours, but is limited by its insensitivity. Reviewed here are two current approaches that aim to address this limitation. The first is to use old re-emerged empirically derived biomarkers such as AFP, now applied within statistical models. The second is to use circulating nucleic acid biomarkers, which include cell-free DNA (for example, circulating tumour DNA, cell-free mitochondrial DNA and cell-free viral DNA) and cell-free RNA, applying modern molecular biology-based technologies and machine learning techniques closely allied to the underlying biology of cancer. Taken together, these approaches are likely to be complementary. Both hold considerable promise for achieving earlier diagnosis as well as offering additional functionalities including improved monitoring of therapy and prediction of response thereto.
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12
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Lyman DF, Bell A, Black A, Dingerdissen H, Cauley E, Gogate N, Liu D, Joseph A, Kahsay R, Crichton DJ, Mehta A, Mazumder R. Modeling and integration of N-glycan biomarkers in a comprehensive biomarker data model. Glycobiology 2022; 32:855-870. [PMID: 35925813 PMCID: PMC9487899 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwac046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular biomarkers measure discrete components of biological processes that can contribute to disorders when impaired. Great interest exists in discovering early cancer biomarkers to improve outcomes. Biomarkers represented in a standardized data model, integrated with multi-omics data, may improve understanding and use of novel biomarkers such as glycans and glycoconjugates. Among altered components in tumorigenesis, N-glycans exhibit substantial biomarker potential, when analyzed with their protein carriers. However, such data are distributed across publications and databases of diverse formats, which hampers their use in research and clinical application. Mass spectrometry measures of fifty N-glycans, on seven serum proteins in liver disease, were integrated (as a panel) into a cancer biomarker data model, providing a unique identifier, standard nomenclature, links to glycan resources, and accession and ontology annotations to standard protein, gene, disease, and biomarker information. Data provenance was documented with a standardized FDA-supported BioCompute Object. Using the biomarker data model allows capture of granular information, such as glycans with different levels of abundance in cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and transplant groups. Such representation in a standardized data model harmonizes glycomics data in a unified framework, making glycan-protein biomarker data exploration more available to investigators and to other data resources. The biomarker data model we describe can be used by researchers to describe their novel glycan and glycoconjugate biomarkers, can integrate N-glycan biomarker data with multi-source biomedical data, and can foster discovery and insight within a unified data framework for glycan biomarker representation thereby making the data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) (https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/).
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel F Lyman
- The Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America
| | - Amanda Bell
- The Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America
| | - Alyson Black
- The Department of Cell & Molecular Pharmacology, The Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29403, United States of America
| | - Hayley Dingerdissen
- The Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America
| | - Edmund Cauley
- The Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America.,The McCormick Genomic and Proteomic Center, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America
| | - Nikhita Gogate
- The Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America
| | - David Liu
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA 91109, United States of America
| | - Ashia Joseph
- The Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America
| | - Robel Kahsay
- The Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America
| | - Daniel J Crichton
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA 91109, United States of America
| | - Anand Mehta
- The Department of Cell & Molecular Pharmacology, The Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29403, United States of America
| | - Raja Mazumder
- The Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America.,The McCormick Genomic and Proteomic Center, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America
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13
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Melendez-Torres J, Singal AG. Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma: roadmap for improvement. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2022; 22:621-632. [PMID: 35514249 PMCID: PMC9845108 DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2022.2074404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis, related, in part, to frequent late-stage diagnosis. Improved implementation of effective HCC surveillance is critical to reduce HCC mortality. AREAS COVERED We performed a targeted literature review to identify intervention targets for improving HCC surveillance effectiveness, including enriched risk stratification tools, improved surveillance tools with higher accuracy for early HCC detection, and increasing surveillance adherence. EXPERT OPINION HCC surveillance has been demonstrated to be efficacious in several cohort studies but has lower surveillance effectiveness in clinical practice. HCC surveillance is currently recommended in all patients with cirrhosis, and improved risk stratification using clinical risk scores, genetic scores, and novel biomarkers are important to move from a 'one-size-fits-all' strategy to one more aligned with values of precision medicine. Current surveillance modalities, ultrasound, and AFP, miss over one-third of HCC at an early stage and are associated with potential surveillance harms, underscoring a need for alternative surveillance strategies with higher accuracy. MRI- and biomarker-based surveillance strategies have promising early data in phase II studies but require validation in phase III cohorts before routine use in practice. Finally, surveillance is underused in clinical practice, highlighting a need for intervention strategies to increase utilization.
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14
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Singal AG, Tayob N, Mehta A, Marrero JA, Jin Q, Lau J, Parikh ND. Doylestown Plus and GALAD Demonstrate High Sensitivity for HCC Detection in Patients With Cirrhosis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 20:953-955.e2. [PMID: 33864933 PMCID: PMC8526617 DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2021.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance is associated with early tumor detection and improved survival in patients with cirrhosis.1 Surveillance is performed using semiannual abdominal ultrasound with or without α-fetoprotein (AFP); however, this strategy misses more than one-third of HCC at an early stage.2 These data highlight a need for novel surveillance strategies with higher accuracy for early HCC detection. GALAD and Doylestown Plus are novel biomarker panels that combine multiple biomarkers with patient demographic and clinical characteristics; both demonstrated promising accuracy in phase II case-control studies;3,4 however, case-control studies can overestimate biomarker performance, highlighting a need for phase III cohort and nested case-control studies.5 Our study aimed to compare multiple biomarkers (including AFP, GALAD, and Doylestown Plus) in a nested case-control study of patients with cirrhosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit G Singal
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Harold C. Simmons Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
| | - Nabihah Tayob
- Department of Data Science, Dana Farber Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Anand Mehta
- Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Jorge A Marrero
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Harold C. Simmons Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Qingchun Jin
- Department of Data Science, Dana Farber Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Joy Lau
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Neehar D Parikh
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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15
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Qian Y, Li L, Ma L, Ji R, Ying S, Zhou J, Fu L, Yang G. Validation of the hepatocellular carcinoma early detection screening algorithm Doylestown and aMAP in a cohort of Chinese with cirrhosis. J Clin Lab Anal 2022; 36:e24296. [PMID: 35218083 PMCID: PMC8993634 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.24296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Previous studies have developed some blood‐based biomarker algorithms such as the Doylestown algorithm and aMAP score to improve the detection of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, no one has studied the application of the Doylestown algorithm in the Chinese. Meanwhile, which of these two screening models is more suitable for people with liver cirrhosis remains to be investigated. Methods In this study, HCC surveillance was performed by radiographic imaging and testing for tumor markers every 6 months from August 21, 2018, to January 12, 2021. We conducted a retrospective study of 742 liver cirrhosis patients, and among them, 20 developed HCC during follow‐up. Samples from these patients at three follow‐up time points were tested to evaluate alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP), the Doylestown algorithm, and aMAP score. Results Overall, 521 liver cirrhosis patients underwent semiannual longitudinal follow‐up three times. Five patients were diagnosed with HCC within 0–6 months of the third follow‐up. We found that for these liver cirrhosis patients, the Doylestown algorithm had the highest accuracy for HCC detection, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) of 0.763, 0.801, and 0.867 for follow‐ups 1–3, respectively. Compared with AFP at 20 ng/ml, the Doylestown algorithm increased biomarker performance by 7.4%, 21%, and 13% for follow‐ups 1–3, respectively. Conclusions Our findings show that the Doylestown algorithm performance appeared to be optimal for HCC early screening in the Chinese cirrhotic population when compared with the aMAP score and AFP at 20 ng/ml.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunsong Qian
- Department of Infection and Hepatology, Hwa Mei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Linhong Li
- Research and Development Division, Oriomics Biotech, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Infection and Hepatology, Hwa Mei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Rengbin Ji
- Department of Infection and Hepatology, Hwa Mei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Sheng Ying
- Department of Infection and Hepatology, Hwa Mei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Juhong Zhou
- Research and Development Division, Oriomics Biotech, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Liyun Fu
- Department of Infection and Hepatology, Hwa Mei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Digestive System Tumors of Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Gang Yang
- Department of Infection and Hepatology, Hwa Mei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
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16
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Scott DA, Wang M, Grauzam S, Pippin S, Black A, Angel PM, Drake RR, Castellino S, Kono Y, Rockey DC, Mehta AS. GlycoFibroTyper: A Novel Method for the Glycan Analysis of IgG and the Development of a Biomarker Signature of Liver Fibrosis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:797460. [PMID: 35197973 PMCID: PMC8858972 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.797460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Our group has recently developed the GlycoTyper assay which is a streamlined antibody capture slide array approach to directly profile N-glycans of captured serum glycoproteins including immunoglobulin G (IgG). This method needs only a few microliters of serum and utilizes a simplified processing protocol that requires no purification or sugar modifications prior to analysis. In this method, antibody captured glycoproteins are treated with peptide N-glycosidase F (PNGase F) to release N-glycans for detection by MALDI imaging mass spectrometry (IMS). As alterations in N-linked glycans have been reported for IgG from large patient cohorts with fibrosis and cirrhosis, we utilized this novel method to examine the glycosylation of total IgG, as well as IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4, which have never been examined before, in a cohort of 106 patients with biopsy confirmed liver fibrosis. Patients were classified as either having no evidence of fibrosis (41 patients with no liver disease or stage 0 fibrosis), early stage fibrosis (10 METAVIR stage 1 and 18 METAVIR stage 2) or late stage fibrosis (6 patients with METAVIR stage 3 fibrosis and 37 patients with METAVIR stage 4 fibrosis (cirrhosis)). Several major alterations in glycosylation were observed that classify patients as having no fibrosis (sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 90%), early fibrosis (sensitivity of 84% with 90% specificity) or significant fibrosis (sensitivity of 94% with 90% specificity).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mengjun Wang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Stephane Grauzam
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | | | - Alyson Black
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Peggi M. Angel
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Richard R. Drake
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | | | - Yuko Kono
- Department of Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Don C. Rockey
- Digestive Disease Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Anand S. Mehta
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
- *Correspondence: Anand S. Mehta,
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17
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Philips CA, Rajesh S, Nair DC, Ahamed R, Abduljaleel JK, Augustine P. Hepatocellular Carcinoma in 2021: An Exhaustive Update. Cureus 2021; 13:e19274. [PMID: 34754704 PMCID: PMC8569837 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.19274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary liver cancer is a challenging global health concern with an estimated more than a million persons to be affected annually by the year 2025. The commonest type is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which has been increasing in incidence the world over, mostly due to chronic viral hepatitis B infection. In the last decade, paradigm changes in the etiology, understanding of molecular biology, and pathogenesis, including the role of gut microbiota; medical and surgical treatments, and outcome trends are notable. The application of omics-based technology has helped us unlock the molecular and immune landscape of HCC, through which novel targets for drug treatment such as immune-checkpoint inhibitors have been identified. Novel tools for the surveillance and diagnosis of HCC include protein-, genomics-, and composite algorithm-based clinical/biomarker panels. Magnetic resonance imaging-based novel techniques have improved HCC diagnosis through ancillary features that enhance classical criteria while positron emission tomography has shown value in prognostication. Identification of the role of gut microbiota in the causation and progression of HCC has opened areas for novel therapeutic research. A select group of patients still benefit from modified surgical and early interventional radiology treatments. Improvements in radiotherapy protocols, identification of parameters of futility among radiological interventions, and the emergence of novel first-line systemic therapies that include a combination of antiangiogenic and immune-checkpoint inhibitors have seen a paradigm change in progression-free and overall survival. The current review is aimed at providing exhaustive updates on the etiology, molecular biology, biomarker diagnosis, imaging, and recommended treatment options in patients with HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyriac A Philips
- Clinical and Translational Hepatology, The Liver Institute, Center of Excellence in GI Sciences, Rajagiri Hospital, Aluva, IND
| | - Sasidharan Rajesh
- Interventional Hepatobiliary Radiology, Center of Excellence in GI Sciences, Rajagiri Hospital, Aluva, IND
| | - Dinu C Nair
- Interventional Hepatobiliary Radiology, Center of Excellence in GI Sciences, Rajagiri Hospital, Aluva, IND
| | - Rizwan Ahamed
- Gastroenterology and Advanced Gastrointestinal (GI) Endoscopy, Center of Excellence in GI Sciences, Rajagiri Hospital, Aluva, IND
| | - Jinsha K Abduljaleel
- Gastroenterology and Advanced Gastrointestinal (GI) Endoscopy, Center of Excellence in GI Sciences, Rajagiri Hospital, Aluva, IND
| | - Philip Augustine
- Gastroenterology and Advanced Gastrointestinal (GI) Endoscopy, Center of Excellence in GI Sciences, Rajagiri Hospital, Aluva, IND
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18
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DelaCourt A, Black A, Angel P, Drake R, Hoshida Y, Singal A, Lewin D, Taouli B, Lewis S, Schwarz M, Fiel MI, Mehta AS. N-Glycosylation Patterns Correlate with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Genetic Subtypes. Mol Cancer Res 2021; 19:1868-1877. [PMID: 34380744 PMCID: PMC8802325 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-21-0348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths globally, and the incidence rate in the United States is increasing. Studies have identified inter- and intratumor heterogeneity as histologic and/or molecular subtypes/variants associated with response to certain molecular targeted therapies. Spatial HCC tissue profiling of N-linked glycosylation by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-IMS) may serve as a new method to evaluate the tumor heterogeneity. Previous work has identified significant changes in the N-linked glycosylation of HCC tumors but has not accounted for the heterogeneous genetic and molecular nature of HCC. To determine the correlation between HCC-specific N-glycosylation changes and genetic/molecular tumor features, we profiled HCC tissue samples with MALDI-IMS and correlated the spatial N-glycosylation with a widely used HCC molecular classification (Hoshida subtypes). MALDI-IMS data displayed trends that could approximately distinguish between subtypes, with subtype 1 demonstrating significantly dysregulated N-glycosylation versus adjacent nontumor tissue. Although there were no individual N-glycan structures that could identify specific subtypes, trends emerged regarding the correlation of branched glycan expression to HCC as a whole and fucosylated glycan expression to subtype 1 tumors specifically. IMPLICATIONS: Correlating N-glycosylation to specific subtypes offers the specific detection of subtypes of HCC, which could both enhance early HCC sensitivity and guide targeted clinical therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew DelaCourt
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Alyson Black
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Peggi Angel
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Richard Drake
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Yujin Hoshida
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Amit Singal
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - David Lewin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Bachir Taouli
- Department of Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Sara Lewis
- Department of Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Myron Schwarz
- Department of Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - M Isabel Fiel
- Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Anand S Mehta
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
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19
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Blaschke CRK, McDowell CT, Black AP, Mehta AS, Angel PM, Drake RR. Glycan Imaging Mass Spectrometry: Progress in Developing Clinical Diagnostic Assays for Tissues, Biofluids, and Cells. Clin Lab Med 2021; 41:247-266. [PMID: 34020762 PMCID: PMC8862151 DOI: 10.1016/j.cll.2021.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
N-glycan imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) can rapidly and reproducibly identify changes in disease-associated N-linked glycosylation that are linked with histopathology features in standard formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples. It can detect multiple N-glycans simultaneously and has been used to identify specific N-glycans and carbohydrate structural motifs as possible cancer biomarkers. Recent advancements in instrumentation and sample preparation are also discussed. The tissue N-glycan IMS workflow has been adapted to new glass slide-based assays for effective and rapid analysis of clinical biofluids, cultured cells, and immunoarray-captured glycoproteins for detection of changes in glycosylation associated with disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calvin R K Blaschke
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, BSB 358, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Colin T McDowell
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, BSB 358, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Alyson P Black
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, BSB 358, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Anand S Mehta
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, BSB 358, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Peggi M Angel
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, BSB 358, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Richard R Drake
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, BSB 358, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
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20
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Llovet JM, Villanueva A, Marrero JA, Schwartz M, Meyer T, Galle PR, Lencioni R, Greten TF, Kudo M, Mandrekar SJ, Zhu AX, Finn RS, Roberts LR. Trial Design and Endpoints in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: AASLD Consensus Conference. Hepatology 2021; 73 Suppl 1:158-191. [PMID: 32430997 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 205] [Impact Index Per Article: 68.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Josep M Llovet
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.,Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institució Catalana d'Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Augusto Villanueva
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | | | - Myron Schwartz
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Tim Meyer
- Department Oncology, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Peter R Galle
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mainz University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Riccardo Lencioni
- Department of Radiology, University of Pisa School of Medicine, Pisa, Italy.,Miami Cancer Institute, Miami, FL
| | - Tim F Greten
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Masatoshi Kudo
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | | | - Andrew X Zhu
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.,Jiahui International Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Lewis R Roberts
- Gastroenterology & Hepatology Department, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
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21
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Does Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surveillance Increase Survival in At-Risk Populations? Patient Selection, Biomarkers, and Barriers. Dig Dis Sci 2020; 65:3456-3462. [PMID: 32860090 PMCID: PMC7669568 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-020-06550-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly morbid and prevalent cancer globally. While high quality evidence for mortality benefit of HCC surveillance is lacking, early detection of HCC is likely beneficial as prognosis is highly correlated with tumor stage. High risk populations, including patients with cirrhosis and subgroups with Hepatitis B, should undergo surveillance with ultrasound ± alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) at 6-month intervals. In addition, emerging data suggest that patients with Hepatitis C cirrhosis who achieve sustained virologic response should continue surveillance. Further research is needed to determine the value of surveillance in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in the absence of cirrhosis or with advanced fibrosis of other etiologies. Newer biomarkers and models such as Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of AFP, des-γ-carboxy prothrombin, and the GALAD score are increasingly utilized in the diagnosis and prognostication of HCC. The role of these biomarkers in surveillance is still under investigation but may potentially offer a more practical alternative to traditional image-based surveillance. Despite recommendations from multiple professional society guidelines, many at-risk patients do not receive HCC surveillance due to barriers at the patient, clinician, and health care system levels. Strategies such as implementing patient navigation services, educating clinicians about surveillance guidelines, and creating automated outreach systems, may improve surveillance rates and ultimately reduce morbidity and mortality from HCC.
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22
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Zhao Q, Zhang Z, Li J, Xu F, Zhang B, Liu M, Liu Y, Chen H, Yang J, Zhang J. Lysine Acetylome Study of Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tissues for Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets Discovery. Front Genet 2020; 11:572663. [PMID: 33093847 PMCID: PMC7527632 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.572663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Lysine acetylation is a vital post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins, which plays an important role in cancer development. In healthy human liver tissues, multiple non-histone proteins were identified with acetylation modification, however, the role of acetylated proteins in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development remains largely unknown. Here we performed a quantitative acetylome study of tumor and normal liver tissues from HCC patients. Overall, 598 lysine acetylation sites in 325 proteins were quantified, and almost 59% of their acetylation levels were significantly changed. The differentially acetylated proteins mainly consisted of non-histone proteins located in mitochondria and cytoplasm, which accounted for 42% and 24%, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis showed that differentially acetylated proteins were enriched in metabolism, oxidative stress, and signal transduction processes. In tumor tissues, 278 lysine sites in 189 proteins showed decreased acetylation levels, which occupied 98% of differentially acetylated proteins. Moreover, we collected twenty pairs of tumor and normal liver tissues from HCC male patients, and found that expression levels of SIRT1 (p = 0.002), SIRT2 (p = 0.01), and SIRT4 (p = 0.045) were significantly up-regulated in tumor tissues. Over-expression of possibly accounted for the widespread deacetylation of non-histone proteins identified in HCC tumor tissues, which could serve as promising predictors of HCC. Taken together, our work illustrates abundant differentially acetylated proteins in HCC tumor tissues, and offered insights into the role of lysine acetylation in HCC development. It provided potential biomarker and drug target candidates for clinical HCC diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianwei Zhao
- BGI College and Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,Henan Key Laboratory for Pharmacology of Liver Diseases, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhendong Zhang
- BGI College and Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jinxia Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Fang Xu
- BGI College and Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Bingxia Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Mengduan Liu
- BGI College and Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yixian Liu
- BGI College and Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Huiping Chen
- BGI College and Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Junxia Yang
- BGI College and Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jintao Zhang
- BGI College and Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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23
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Wang T, Zhang KH. New Blood Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of AFP-Negative Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2020; 10:1316. [PMID: 32923383 PMCID: PMC7456927 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.01316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
An early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) followed by effective treatment is currently critical for improving the prognosis and reducing the associated economic burden. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is the most widely used biomarker for HCC diagnosis. Based on elevated serum AFP levels as well as typical imaging features, AFP-positive HCC (APHC) can be easily diagnosed, but AFP-negative HCC (ANHC) is not easily detected due to lack of ideal biomarkers and thus mainly reliance on imaging. Imaging for the diagnosis of ANHC is probably insufficient in sensitivity and/or specificity because most ANHC tumors are small and early-stage HCC, and it is involved in sophisticated techniques and high costs. Moreover, ANHC accounts for nearly half of HCC and exhibits a better prognosis compared with APHC. Therefore, the diagnosis of ANHC in clinical practice has been a critical issue for the early treatment and prognosis improvement of HCC. In recent years, tremendous efforts have been made to discover new biomarkers complementary to AFP for HCC diagnosis. In this review, we systematically review and discuss the recent advances of blood biomarkers for HCC diagnosis, including DNA biomarkers, RNA biomarkers, protein biomarkers, and conventional laboratory metrics, focusing on their diagnostic evaluation alone and in combination, in particular on their diagnostic performance for ANHC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangxi Institute of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Kun-He Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangxi Institute of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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24
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Beudeker BJB, Boonstra A. Circulating biomarkers for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma. Therap Adv Gastroenterol 2020; 13:1756284820931734. [PMID: 32647536 PMCID: PMC7325534 DOI: 10.1177/1756284820931734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is estimated to be the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. HCC patients face a dismal prognosis because symptoms usually appear in an advanced stage of disease. The detection of early stage HCC allows for curative surgical treatment and therefore saves lives. Specific non-invasive or diagnostic markers for HCC may represent a valuable tool for detecting these tumors at an early stage. The clinically most established serological biomarker alpha-fetoprotein shows only limited diagnostic performance, however novel candidate biomarkers and biomarker panels for detecting HCC at early stages of development are being studied. In this review we will discuss the findings of these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris J. B. Beudeker
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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25
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Parikh ND, Mehta AS, Singal AG, Block T, Marrero JA, Lok AS. Biomarkers for the Early Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020; 29:2495-2503. [PMID: 32238405 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-20-0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and the cancer with the fastest increase in mortality in the United States, with more than 39,000 cases and 29,000 deaths in 2018. As with many cancers, survival is significantly improved by early detection. The median survival of patients with early HCC is >60 months but <15 months when detected at an advanced stage. Surveillance of at-risk patients improves outcome, but fewer than 20% of those at risk for HCC receive surveillance, and current surveillance strategies have limited sensitivity and specificity. Ideally, blood-based biomarkers with adequate sensitivity or specificity would be available for early detection of HCC; however, the most commonly used biomarker for HCC, alpha-fetoprotein, has inadequate performance characteristics. There are several candidate serum proteomic, glycomic, and genetic markers that have gone through early stages of biomarker validation and have shown promise for the early detection of HCC, but these markers require validation in well-curated cohorts. Ongoing prospective cohort studies will permit retrospective longitudinal (phase III biomarker study) validation of biomarkers. In this review, we highlight promising candidate biomarkers and biomarker panels that have completed phase II evaluation but require further validation prior to clinical use.See all articles in this CEBP Focus section, "NCI Early Detection Research Network: Making Cancer Detection Possible."
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Affiliation(s)
- Neehar D Parikh
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
| | - Anand S Mehta
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Amit G Singal
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Timothy Block
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute of The Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, Pennsylvania
| | - Jorge A Marrero
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Anna S Lok
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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26
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Singal AG, Lampertico P, Nahon P. Epidemiology and surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma: New trends. J Hepatol 2020; 72:250-261. [PMID: 31954490 PMCID: PMC6986771 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2019.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 583] [Impact Index Per Article: 145.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The burden of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is highest in East Asia and Africa, although its incidence and mortality are rapidly rising in the United States and Europe. With the implementation of hepatitis B vaccination and hepatitis C treatment programmes worldwide, the epidemiology of HCC is shifting away from a disease predominated by viral hepatitis - an increasing proportion of cases are now attributable to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Surveillance using ultrasound, with or without alpha-fetoprotein, every 6 months has been associated with improved early detection and improved overall survival; however, limitations in implementation lead to a high proportion of HCC being detected at late stages in clinical practice. Herein, we review the current state of HCC surveillance and highlight areas for future research, including improved risk stratification of at-risk patients, surveillance tools with higher sensitivity and specificity for early HCC, and interventions to increase surveillance utilisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit G Singal
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Pietro Lampertico
- CRC "A. M. and A. Migliavacca" Center for the Study of Liver Disease, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Pierre Nahon
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Universités, Université Paris Descartes, Université Paris Diderot, Université Paris, Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors, USPC, Université Paris Descartes, Université Paris Diderot, Université Paris, Paris, France; Service d'hépatologie, Hôpital Jean Verdier, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris-Seine-Saint-Denis, Assistance-Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Bondy, France; Unité de Formation et de Recherche Santé Médecine et Biologie Humaine, Université Paris 13, Communauté d'Universités et Etablissements Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
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27
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Ranjpour M, Wajid S, Jain SK. Elevated Expression of Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 Delta Is Associated with Lipid Metabolism Dysregulation during Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression. CELL JOURNAL 2019; 22:17-22. [PMID: 31606962 PMCID: PMC6791066 DOI: 10.22074/cellj.2020.6527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Objective Liver cancer is the third rank amongst the common malignancies, causing maximum death in the patients
diagnosed with cancers. Currently available biomarkers are not enough sensitive for early diagnosis of hepatocellular
carcinoma (HCC). This makes difficult management of HCC. With the aim of finding new generation of proteomic-based
biomarkers, the represented study was designed to characterize the differentially expressed proteins at different stages
of HCC initiation and at progression. This could lead to find potential biomarkers for early detection of HCC.
Materials and Methods In this experimental study, we report induction of HCC by administrating chemical carcinogens
in male Wistar rats. Disease progression was monitored by histological evaluation. Serum proteomic analyses such as
2 dimensional (2D)-electrophoresis, MALDI-TOF-MS/MS and Western blot have been used to analyze and characterize
the differentially expressed proteins during HCC development.
Results HCC initiation and tumorigenesis were observed at one and four months post carcinogen treatment,
respectively. One of the differentially-expressed proteins, namely, cytosolic phospholipase A2delta was significantly
up-regulated at very early stage of HCC development. Its expression continued to increase during cancer progression
and hepatotumorigenesis stages. Its elevated expression has been confirmed by Western blot analysis. Consistent to
this, analyses of the sera in the clinically confirmed liver cancer patients showed elevated expression of this protein,
further validating our experimental results.
Conclusion This study suggests that elevation in the expression of cytosolic phospholipase A2delta is associated with
progression of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Ranjpour
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Saima Wajid
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Swatantra Kumar Jain
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, HIMSR, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India. Electronic Address:
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28
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Qin H, Dong X, Mao J, Chen Y, Dong M, Wang L, Guo Z, Liang X, Ye M. Highly Efficient Analysis of Glycoprotein Sialylation in Human Serum by Simultaneous Quantification of Glycosites and Site-Specific Glycoforms. J Proteome Res 2019; 18:3439-3446. [PMID: 31380653 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.9b00332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant sialylation of glycoproteins is closely related to many malignant diseases, and analysis of sialylation has great potential to reveal the status of these diseases. However, in-depth analysis of sialylation is still challenging because of the high microheterogeneity of protein glycosylation, as well as the low abundance of sialylated glycopeptides (SGPs). Herein, an integrated strategy was fabricated for the detailed characterization of glycoprotein sialylation on the levels of glycosites and site-specific glycoforms by employing the SGP enrichment method. This strategy enabled the identification of up to 380 glycosites, as well as 414 intact glycopeptides corresponding to 383 site-specific glycoforms from only initial 6 μL serum samples, indicating the high sensitivity of the method for the detailed analysis of glycoprotein sialylation. This strategy was further employed to the differential analysis of glycoprotein sialylation between hepatocellular carcinoma patients and control samples, leading to the quantification of 344 glycosites and 405 site-specific glycoforms, simultaneously. Among these, 43 glycosites and 55 site-specific glycoforms were found to have significant change on the glycosite and site-specific glycoform levels, respectively. Interestingly, several glycoforms attached onto the same glycosite were found with different change tendencies. This strategy was demonstrated to be a powerful tool to reveal subtle differences of the macro- and microheterogeneity of glycoprotein sialylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongqiang Qin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Dalian 116023 , P. R. China
| | - Xuefang Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Dalian 116023 , P. R. China
| | - Jiawei Mao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Dalian 116023 , P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , China
| | - Yao Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Dalian 116023 , P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , China
| | - Mingming Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Dalian 116023 , P. R. China
| | - Liming Wang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University , Dalian 116027 , China
| | - Zhimou Guo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Dalian 116023 , P. R. China
| | - Xinmiao Liang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Dalian 116023 , P. R. China
| | - Mingliang Ye
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Dalian 116023 , P. R. China
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29
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Recent advances in liver transplantation for cancer: The future of transplant oncology. JHEP Rep 2019; 1:377-391. [PMID: 32039389 PMCID: PMC7005652 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2019.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver transplantation is widely indicated as a curative treatment for selected patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. However, with recent therapeutic advances, as well as efforts to increase the donor pool, liver transplantation has been carefully expanded to patients with other primary or secondary malignancies in the liver. Cholangiocarcinoma, colorectal and neuroendocrine liver metastases, and hepatic epithelioid haemangioendothelioma are amongst the most relevant new indications. In this review we discuss the fundamental concepts of this ambitious undertaking, as well as the newest indications for liver transplantation, with a special focus on future perspectives within the recently established concept of transplant oncology.
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30
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Francica G, Borzio M. Status of, and strategies for improving, adherence to HCC screening and surveillance. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2019; 6:131-141. [PMID: 31440486 PMCID: PMC6664854 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s159269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide and the main cause of death in patients with cirrhosis. Secondary prevention of HCC can be accomplished through the serial application of screening tests (ultrasound with or without alpha-fetoprotein) to detect the presence of subclinical lesions amenable to potentially curative treatment, such as surgery and ablation. The efficacy of HCC screening is accepted by hepatologists in terms of decline in cancer-specific mortality, but its translation into clinical practice is less than ideal. The effectiveness of HCC screening is hampered by several factors: failure to identify at-risk patients, failure to access care and failure to detect HCC. For each of these steps, possible improvements are discussed in order to face the changing etiology of cirrhosis and expand the screening of at-risk populations by including selected nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giampiero Francica
- Unità Operativa Ecografia ed Ecointerventistica, Pineta Grande Hospital, Castel Volturno, Italy
| | - Mauro Borzio
- Unità Operativa Complessa Gastroenterologia ed Endoscopia Digestiva, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Melegnano e della Martesana, Milano, Italy
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31
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Yuan W, Wei R, Goldman R, Sanda M. Optimized Fragmentation for Quantitative Analysis of Fucosylated N-Glycoproteins by LC-MS-MRM. Anal Chem 2019; 91:9206-9212. [PMID: 31268672 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b01983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative analysis of site specific glycoforms of proteins is technically challenging but highly desirable; resolution of the fucosylated glycoforms is of particular interest due to their biological importance. In this study, we developed a sensitive and specific LC-MS-MRM quantification method that distinguishes the outer arm and core fucosylated configurations of the N-glycopeptides. We take advantage of limited fragmentation of the glycopeptides at low collision energy CID to produce linkage-specific Y-ions. We select these informative ions as MRM transitions for the quantification of the outer arm and total fucosylation of 12 fucosylated glycoforms of 9 glycopeptides in 7 plasma proteins. Our workflow showed improved sensitivity and specificity of quantification of the glycopeptides compared to oxonium ion transitions which allowed us to quantify the glycoforms directly in plasma or serum without fractionation of the samples or glycopeptide enrichment. A pilot study of fucosylation in liver cirrhosis of the HCV and NASH etiologies confirms the quantitative capabilities of the method and shows that liver cirrhosis is consistently associated with increased outer arm fucosylation of majority of the analyzed proteins. The results show that the outer arm fucosylation of the A2G2F1 glycoform of the VDKDLQSLEDILHQVENK peptide of fibrinogen increases greater than 10-fold in the HCV and NASH patients compared to healthy controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Yuan
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center , Georgetown University , Washington , D.C. 20057 , United States.,Clinical and Translational Glycoscience Research Center , Georgetown University , Washington , D.C. 20057 , United States
| | - Renhuizi Wei
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center , Georgetown University , Washington , D.C. 20057 , United States.,Clinical and Translational Glycoscience Research Center , Georgetown University , Washington , D.C. 20057 , United States
| | - Radoslav Goldman
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center , Georgetown University , Washington , D.C. 20057 , United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology , Georgetown University , Washington , D.C. 20057 , United States.,Clinical and Translational Glycoscience Research Center , Georgetown University , Washington , D.C. 20057 , United States
| | - Miloslav Sanda
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center , Georgetown University , Washington , D.C. 20057 , United States.,Clinical and Translational Glycoscience Research Center , Georgetown University , Washington , D.C. 20057 , United States
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32
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Kanwal F, Singal AG. Surveillance for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Best Practice and Future Direction. Gastroenterology 2019; 157:54-64. [PMID: 30986389 PMCID: PMC6636644 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2019.02.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 258] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular cancer (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and the fastest growing cause of cancer deaths in the United States. The overall prognosis of HCC remains dismal, except for the subset of patients who are diagnosed at early stage and receive potentially curative therapies, such as surgical resection and liver transplantation. Given this, expert society guidelines recommend HCC surveillance every 6 months in at-risk individuals. Despite these recommendations, the effectiveness of HCC surveillance remains a subject of debate. We discuss current best practices for HCC surveillance and the evidence that support these recommendations. We also describe several initiatives that are underway to improve HCC surveillance and outline areas that may serve as high-yield targets for future research. Overall, we believe these efforts will help the field move toward precision surveillance, where surveillance tests and intervals are tailored to individual HCC risk. Doing so can maximize surveillance benefits, minimize surveillance harms, and optimize overall value for all patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fasiha Kanwal
- Sections of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Health Services Research, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Center of Innovation, Effectiveness and Quality, Houston, Texas.
| | - Amit G. Singal
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
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Balaceanu LA. Biomarkers vs imaging in the early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma and prognosis. World J Clin Cases 2019; 7:1367-1382. [PMID: 31363465 PMCID: PMC6656675 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v7.i12.1367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the 5th most frequently diagnosed cancer in the world, according to the World Health Organization. The incidence of HCC is between 3/100000 and 78.1/100000, with a high incidence reported in areas with viral hepatitis B and hepatitis C, thus affecting Asia and Africa predominantly. Several international clinical guidelines address HCC diagnosis and are structured according to the geographical area involved. All of these clinical guidelines, however, share a foundation of diagnosis by ultrasound surveillance and contrast imaging techniques, particularly computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and sometimes contrast-enhanced ultrasound. The primary objective of this review was to systematically summarize the recent published studies on the clinical utility of serum biomarkers in the early diagnosis of HCC and for the prognosis of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lavinia Alice Balaceanu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Sf. Ioan Clinical Emergency Hospital, Bucharest 42122, Romania
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Kim KH, Kim JY, Yoo JS. Mass spectrometry analysis of glycoprotein biomarkers in human blood of hepatocellular carcinoma. Expert Rev Proteomics 2019; 16:553-568. [DOI: 10.1080/14789450.2019.1626235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kwang Hoe Kim
- Biomedical Omics Group, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Young Kim
- Biomedical Omics Group, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Shin Yoo
- Biomedical Omics Group, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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Zhu J, Warner E, Parikh ND, Lubman DM. Glycoproteomic markers of hepatocellular carcinoma-mass spectrometry based approaches. MASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS 2019; 38:265-290. [PMID: 30472795 PMCID: PMC6535140 DOI: 10.1002/mas.21583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most-common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Most cases of HCC develop in patients that already have liver cirrhosis and have been recommended for surveillance for an early onset of HCC. Cirrhosis is the final common pathway for several etiologies of liver disease, including hepatitis B and C, alcohol, and increasingly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Only 20-30% of patients with HCC are eligible for curative therapy due primarily to inadequate early-detection strategies. Reliable, accurate biomarkers for HCC early detection provide the highest likelihood of curative therapy and survival; however, current early-detection methods that use abdominal ultrasound and serum alpha fetoprotein are inadequate due to poor adherence and limited sensitivity and specificity. There is an urgent need for convenient and highly accurate validated biomarkers for HCC early detection. The theme of this review is the development of new methods to discover glycoprotein-based markers for detection of HCC with mass spectrometry approaches. We outline the non-mass spectrometry based methods that have been used to discover HCC markers including immunoassays, capillary electrophoresis, 2-D gel electrophoresis, and lectin-FLISA assays. We describe the development and results of mass spectrometry-based assays for glycan screening based on either MALDI-MS or ESI analysis. These analyses might be based on the glycan content of serum or on glycan screening for target molecules from serum. We describe some of the specific markers that have been developed as a result, including for proteins such as Haptoglobin, Hemopexin, Kininogen, and others. We discuss the potential role for other technologies, including PGC chromatography and ion mobility, to separate isoforms of glycan markers. Analyses of glycopeptides based on new technologies and innovative softwares are described and also their potential role in discovery of markers of HCC. These technologies include new fragmentation methods such as EThcD and stepped HCD, which can identify large numbers of glycopeptide structures from serum. The key role of lectin extraction in various assays for intact glycopeptides or their truncated versions is also described, where various core-fucosylated and hyperfucosylated glycopeptides have been identified as potential markers of HCC. Finally, we describe the role of LC-MRMs or lectin-FLISA MRMs as a means to validate these glycoprotein markers from patient samples. These technological advancements in mass spectrometry have the potential to lead to novel biomarkers to improve the early detection of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhui Zhu
- Department of Surgery, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109, Michigan
| | - Elisa Warner
- Department of Surgery, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109, Michigan
| | - Neehar D. Parikh
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109, Michigan
| | - David M. Lubman
- Department of Surgery, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109, Michigan
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36
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Analysis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tissue for Biomarker Discovery. MOLECULAR AND TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-21540-8_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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West CA, Wang M, Herrera H, Liang H, Black A, Angel PM, Drake RR, Mehta AS. N-Linked Glycan Branching and Fucosylation Are Increased Directly in Hcc Tissue As Determined through in Situ Glycan Imaging. J Proteome Res 2018; 17:3454-3462. [PMID: 30110170 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.8b00323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains as the fifth most common cancer in the world and accounts for more than 700,000 deaths annually. Changes in serum glycosylation have long been associated with this cancer but the source of that material is unknown and direct glycan analysis of HCC tissues has been limited. Our laboratory previously developed a method of in situ tissue based N-linked glycan imaging that bypasses the need for microdissection and solubilization of tissue prior to analysis. We used this methodology in the analysis of 138 HCC tissue samples and compared the N-linked glycans in cancer tissue with either adjacent untransformed or tissue from patients with liver cirrhosis but no cancer. Ten glycans were found significantly elevated in HCC tissues as compared to cirrhotic or adjacent tissue. These glycans fell into two major classes, those with increased levels of fucosylation and those with increased levels of branching with or without any fucose modifications. In addition, increased levels of fucosylated glycoforms were associated with a reduction in survival time. This work supports the hypothesis that the increased levels of fucosylated N-linked glycans in HCC serum are produced directly from the cancer tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor A West
- Medical University of South Carolina , Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology , 173 Ashley Avenue BSB 358 , Charleston , South Carolina 29425 , United States
| | - Mengjun Wang
- Medical University of South Carolina , Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology , 173 Ashley Avenue BSB 358 , Charleston , South Carolina 29425 , United States
| | - Harmin Herrera
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies, Drexel University College of Medicine , Department of Microbiology and Immunology , 2900 Queen Lane , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 19129 , United States
| | - Hongyan Liang
- Medical University of South Carolina , Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology , 173 Ashley Avenue BSB 358 , Charleston , South Carolina 29425 , United States
| | - Alyson Black
- Medical University of South Carolina , Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology , 173 Ashley Avenue BSB 358 , Charleston , South Carolina 29425 , United States
| | - Peggi M Angel
- Medical University of South Carolina , Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology , 173 Ashley Avenue BSB 358 , Charleston , South Carolina 29425 , United States
| | - Richard R Drake
- Medical University of South Carolina , Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology , 173 Ashley Avenue BSB 358 , Charleston , South Carolina 29425 , United States
| | - Anand S Mehta
- Medical University of South Carolina , Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology , 173 Ashley Avenue BSB 358 , Charleston , South Carolina 29425 , United States
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Biomarker analysis of fucosylated kininogen through depletion of lectin reactive heterophilic antibodies in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Immunol Methods 2018; 462:59-64. [PMID: 30144410 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2018.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for >700,000 deaths worldwide, largely related to poor rates of diagnosis. Our previous work identified glycoproteins with increased levels of fucosylation in HCC. Plate-based assays to measure this change were compromised by increased levels of heterophilic antibodies with glycan lacking terminal galactose residues, which allowed for increased binding to the lectins used in these assays. To address this issue, we developed a multi-step protein A/G incubation and filtration method to remove the contaminating signal. However, this method was time consuming and expensive so alternative methods were desired. Herein, we describe a simple method relying on PEG precipitation that allows for the removal of IgG and IgM but retention of glycoproteins of interest. This method was tested on three sample sets, two internal and one external. PEG depletion of heterophilic IgG and IgM reduced in the coefficient of variation as observed with the protein A/G filtration method from 26.82% to 7.50% and allowed for the measurement of fucosylated protein. This method allowed for the measurement of fucosylated kininogen, which could serve as a biomarker of HCC. In conclusion, a new and simple method for the depletion of heterophilic IgG and IgM was developed and allowed for the analysis of fucosylated kininogen in patients with liver disease.
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Yuan W, Benicky J, Wei R, Goldman R, Sanda M. Quantitative Analysis of Sex-Hormone-Binding Globulin Glycosylation in Liver Diseases by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Parallel Reaction Monitoring. J Proteome Res 2018; 17:2755-2766. [PMID: 29972295 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.8b00201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) is a liver-secreted glycoprotein and a major regulator of steroid distribution. It has been reported that the serum concentration of SHBG changes in liver disease. To explore the involvement of SHBG in liver disease of different etiologies in greater detail, we developed a sensitive and selective liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry parallel reaction monitoring workflow to achieve quantitative analysis of SHBG glycosylation microheterogeneity. The method uses energy-optimized "soft" fragmentation to extract informative Y ions for maximal coverage of glycoforms and their quantitative comparisons. A total of 15 N-glycoforms of two N-glycosites and 3 O-glycoforms of 1 O-glycosite of this low-abundance serum protein were simultaneously analyzed in the complex samples. At the same time, we were able to partially resolve linkage isoforms of the fucosylated glycoforms and to identify and quantify SHBG N-glycoforms that were not previously reported. The results show that both core and outer-arm fucosylation of the N-glycoforms increases with liver cirrhosis but that a further increase of fucosylation is not observed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In contrast, the α-2-6 sialylated glycoform of the O-glycopeptide of SHBG increases in liver cirrhosis, and a significant 2-fold further increase is observed in HCC. In general, we do not find a significant contribution of different liver disease etiologies to the observed changes in glycosylation; however, elevation of the newly reported HexNAc(4)Hex(6) N-glycoform is associated with alcoholic liver disease.
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Black AP, Mehta AS. The search for biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma and the impact on patient outcome. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2018; 41:74-78. [PMID: 29772420 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2018.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the 5th most common cancer, but the 3rd leading cause of cancer death globally with approximately 700,000 fatalities annually. The severity of this cancer arises from its difficulty to detect and treat. The major etiologies of HCC are liver fibrosis or cirrhosis from chronic viral infections, as well as metabolic conditions. Since most cases arise from prior pathologies, biomarker surveillance in high-risk individuals is an essential approach for early detection and improved patient outcome. While many molecular biomarkers have been associated with HCC, there are few that have made clinical impact for this disease. Here we review some major approaches used for HCC biomarker discovery-proteomics and glycomics-and describe new methodologies being tested for biomarker development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyson P Black
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Anand S Mehta
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States.
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Fujiwara N, Friedman SL, Goossens N, Hoshida Y. Risk factors and prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma in the era of precision medicine. J Hepatol 2018; 68:526-549. [PMID: 28989095 PMCID: PMC5818315 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2017.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 451] [Impact Index Per Article: 75.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Revised: 09/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Patients who develop chronic fibrotic liver disease, caused by viral or metabolic aetiologies, are at a high risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Even after complete HCC tumour resection or ablation, the carcinogenic tissue microenvironment in the remnant liver can give rise to recurrent de novo HCC tumours, which progress into incurable, advanced-stage disease in most patients. Thus, early detection and prevention of HCC development is, in principle, the most impactful strategy to improve patient prognosis. However, a "one-size-fits-all" approach to HCC screening for early tumour detection, as recommended by clinical practice guidelines, is utilised in less than 20% of the target population, and the performance of screening modalities, including ultrasound and alpha-fetoprotein, is suboptimal. Furthermore, optimal screening strategies for emerging at-risk patient populations, such as those with chronic hepatitis C after viral cure, or those with non-cirrhotic, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease remain controversial. New HCC biomarkers and imaging modalities may improve the sensitivity and specificity of HCC detection. Clinical and molecular HCC risk scores will enable precise HCC risk prediction followed by tailoured HCC screening of individual patients, maximising cost-effectiveness and optimising allocation of limited medical resources. Several aetiology-specific and generic HCC chemoprevention strategies are evolving. Epidemiological and experimental studies have identified candidate chemoprevention targets and therapies, including statins, anti-diabetic drugs, and selective molecular targeted agents, although their clinical testing has been limited by the lengthy process of cancer development that requires long-term, costly studies. Individual HCC risk prediction is expected to overcome the challenge by enabling personalised chemoprevention, targeting high-risk patients for precision HCC prevention and substantially improving the dismal prognosis of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoto Fujiwara
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA; Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Scott L Friedman
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA
| | - Nicolas Goossens
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Yujin Hoshida
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA.
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Sengupta S, Parikh ND. Biomarker development for hepatocellular carcinoma early detection: current and future perspectives. Hepat Oncol 2017; 4:111-122. [PMID: 30191058 DOI: 10.2217/hep-2017-0019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) leads to improved survival; however, current early detection strategies for HCC surveillance are ineffective. Thus, there has been interest in developing biomarkers to aid in the early detection HCC. In this review, we discuss the five phases of biomarker discovery that are necessary for clinical implementation. We also describe the most promising investigational biomarkers and their phase of discovery. We review several promising technologies for the early detection of HCC, including miRNA, metabolomics and proteomics. Promisingly, there are samples from multiple longitudinal cohorts of patients with cirrhosis in the USA that are being collected in order to validate candidate biomarkers for HCC. A biomarker-based strategy has the potential to become the primary surveillance method for HCC detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreya Sengupta
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Neehar D Parikh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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43
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Zhang S, Cao X, Gao Q, Liu Y. Protein glycosylation in viral hepatitis-related HCC: Characterization of heterogeneity, biological roles, and clinical implications. Cancer Lett 2017; 406:64-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2017.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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