Protein kinase C delta enhances the diagnostic performance of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: The conventional markers for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), α-fetoprotein (AFP) and des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (DCP), have several limitations; both have low sensitivity in patients with early-stage HCC; low sensitivity for AFP with HCC after eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV); low specificity for DCP in patients with non-viral HCC, which is increasing worldwide; low specificity for AFP in patients with liver injury; and low specificity for DCP in patients treated with warfarin. To overcome these issues, the identification of novel biomarkers is an unmet need.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the usefulness of serum protein kinase C delta (PKCδ) for detecting these HCCs.

Methods: PKCδ levels were measured using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 363 chronic liver disease (CLD) patients with and without HCC.

Results: In both viral and non-viral CLD, PKCδ can detect HCCs with high sensitivity and specificity, particularly in the very early stages. Notably, the value and sensitivity of PKCδ were not modified by HCV elimination status. Liver injury and warfarin administration, which are known to cause false-positive results for conventional markers, did not modify PKCδ levels.

Conclusions: PKCδ is an enhanced biomarker for the diagnosis of HCC that compensates for the drawbacks of conventional markers.