Serum thymosin beta 10 level as a potential prognosis prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatic diseases.

Abstract

Thymosin Beta 10 (TMSB10) is a thymosin family member that has been identified as being overexpressed in a wide variety of human cancers. This study aimed to determine the expression level of TMSB10 in sera of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver cirrhosis. And to reveal the association between TMSB10 and different stages in patients with HCC. We also wanted to know how TMSB10 is predictive in HCC patients and its relation to the Barcelona Clinic's staging system. The study included 41 HCC patients, 15 liver cirrhosis patients, and 15 normal control subjects. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine serum levels of TMSB10 and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in serum of normal control individuals and patients with liver cirrhosis and different stages of HCC, and to evaluate the relationship of AFP with TMSB10. The TMSB10 levels in patients with HCC were statistically different than in the control group and in the different stages of HCC. We found a statistically significant difference in the distribution of TMSB10 between the three study groups (p < 0.001). There was an association between TMSB10 concentration and AFP. The level of TMSB10 in the serum of the HCC subgroups was then analyzed. The TMSB10 level increased with the advance of HCC stages. The TMSB10 level in HCC patients did not correlate with levels of liver function tests including aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, albumin, prothrombin, bilirubin, or alkaline phosphatase. In conclusion, serum TMSB10 levels can be used as a potential prognostic marker for clinical stages of HCC.