Press Release

31.01.2018

SCCA-IgM as a biomarker of liver disease in Asian patients

A new study on SCCA-IgM in Asian patients has been published in the Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation.

SCCA-IgM was analyzed as a biomarker to monitor cirrhosis evolution and its performance was compared to that of alpha fetoprotein (AFP): SCCA-IgM and AFP levels were found to be significantly higher in untreated patients with cirrhosis compared to those with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In addition, SCCA-IgM, but not AFP serological levels, were significantly lower in HCC patients who were treated by surgical resection compared to those who received a different therapy.

This preliminary result proves for the first time the potential of SCCA-IgM as a monitoring tool in Asian patients. However, additional studies on larger cohorts of patients are needed to confirm these results and to validate the immune-complex as a reliable biomarker for monitoring liver disease evolution in Asia.

The authors of the study include researchers at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, Prof. Tiribelli from the Center for Liver Studies in Trieste, Italy, and Prof. Pontisso of the Department of Medicine at the University of Padua, Italy.

The article can be downloaded HERE.