Detection of MAGE‐4 Protein in the Sera of Patients with Hepatitis‐C Virus‐associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Liver Cirrhosis

The aim of this study was to determine whether MAGE‐4 protein is detectable in sera of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and other liver diseases. An enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay was employed for detection of MAGE‐4 protein in sera of liver disease patients, healthy men and women (control I) and those undergoing prostatic cancer screening (control II). MAGE‐4 protein levels in sera of patients with hepatitis C virus‐associated HCC (HCC‐C) (n=45, mean=2.160 ng/ml) and HCV‐associated cirrhosis (LC‐C) (n= 55, 1.072 ng/ml) were significantly higher (P< 0.0001) than those of control I (0.327 ng/ml) or control II (0.394 ng/ml). MAGE‐4 protein was positive in 21/45 (46.7%) HCC‐C patients and 18/55 (32.7%) LC‐C patients (cut‐off, mean plus 2 SD in healthy controls) but in 0/12 (0%) hepatitis B virus‐associated HCC (HCC‐B) patients, 3/49 (6.1%) hepatitis B virus‐associated LC (LC‐B) patients, 4/47 (8.5%) alcoholic liver disease patients, and 1/49 (2.0%) controls. Serum MAGE‐4 protein level may be useful as a marker for identification of LC‐C patients suffering from HCC that is undetectable by presently available methods.