AKR1B10 as a serum marker for diagnosis and postoperative monitoring of hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Aldo-keto reductase 1B10 (AKR1B10) is a novel serum marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study was aimed to evaluate its clinical value in the diagnosis and immediate postoperative monitoring for HCC. A total of 1197 subjects were recruited from two study centers, including 185 patients with HCC who underwent radical resection and followed up for 3 months. Serum samples were collected from all participants for AKR1B10 and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) tests, and imaging and clinical data were collected. Serum AKR1B10 in HCC patients markedly increased to 1384.31 ± 107.91 pg/ml. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed an area under curve (AUC) of 0.877, sensitivity of 71.2%, and specificity of 97.2% for AKR1B10 in HCC compared to 0.792, 62.7%, and 88.7% for AFP. For early HCC, serum AKR1B10 had an AUC of 0.855, sensitivity of 70.6%, and specificity of 94.4% compared to 0.744, 56.7%, and 86.7% for AFP. After radical resection of HCC, serum AKR1B10 rapidly decreased to the normal range within 3-5 days whereas AFP remained high. At 1-3 months after surgery, serum AKR1B10 was consistent with imaging data in 89.11% of patients with HCC, whereas AFP had only 70.41%. AKR1B10 is an effective serum marker for diagnosis of HCC and postoperative monitoring of HCC, with better clinical performance than AFP.