Six autoantibodies as potential serum biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma: A prospective multicenter study.

Serum autoantibodies have been reported to react with tumor‐associated antigen (TAA) in various cancers. This multicenter study evaluated the diagnostic and prognostic value of six autoantibodies against a panel of six hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)‐associated antigens, including Sui1, p62, RalA, p53, NY‐ESO‐1 and c‐myc. A total of 160 patients with HCC and 74 healthy controls were prospectively enrolled from six institutions. Serum antibody titers were determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. The sensitivities were 19% for Sui1, 18% for p62, 17% for RalA, 11% for p53, 10% for NY‐ESO‐1 and 9% for c‐myc. Overall sensitivity of the TAA panel (56%) was higher than that of α‐fetoprotein (41%, P <.05). The combined sensitivity of the TAA panel and α‐fetoprotein was significantly higher than that of α‐fetoprotein alone (P <.001). The difference in overall survival of TAA panel‐positive and panel‐negative patients was significant when the Stage I/II patients were combined (P =.023). Overall survival was worse in NY‐ESO‐1 antibody‐positive than in NY‐ESO‐1 antibody‐negative patients (P =.002). Multivariate analysis found that positivity for the TAA panel was independently associated with poor prognosis (P =.030). This TAA panel may have diagnostic and prognostic value in the patients with HCC. What's new? Serum autoantibodies that react with tumor‐associated antigens (TAAs) in the early stages of tumorigenesis are promising biomarkers for cancer detection. Several such autoantibodies have been identified specifically in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), though their prognostic value remains inconclusive. Here, the authors evaluated the diagnostic and prognostic impact in HCC patients of autoantibodies against six TAAs, including Sui1, p62, RalA, p53, NY‐ESO‐1, and c‐myc. The data indicate that autoantibodies against the TAA panel had an additive effect on α‐fetoprotein (AFP), a biomarker currently used in HCC detection. Moreover, positivity for serum autoantibodies was independently prognostic for unfavorable overall survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]