Heterophile carbohydrate antigen N-glycolylneuraminic acid as a potential biomarker in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a high recurrence rate even after radical hepatectomy. No optimal biomarker can predict the recurrence and prognosis of HCC. We investigated whether the oncological properties of N-glycolylneuraminic acid (NeuGc) can participate in the recurrence and prognosis of HCC. We evaluated the expression of NeuGc antigen (Ag) in the HCC tissues and measured the preoperative anti-NeuGc IgG antibodies (Abs) in the sera of the patients with HCC. We compared the clinical characteristics and survival rate in the hepatectomized patients (initial; n = 66, recurrent; n = 34) with and without the NeuGc Ag or Abs. Multivariate analyses showed positive expression of NeuGc Ag in HCC tissues (Odds ratio; initial = 6.3, recurrent = 14.0) and higher titers of preoperative anti-NeuGc Ab (Odds ratio; initial = 4.9; recurrent = 3.8), which could be the predictive factors related to early recurrence post-surgery. Both the NeuGc Ag-positive and Ab-positive groups in the initial hepatectomized patients exhibited significantly shorter recurrent free survival compared to those in the negative groups. Our findings suggested that preoperative anti-NeuGc Ab titers and NeuGc Ag expression in the HCC tissues can be used as the predictive factors for the postoperative recurrence and prognosis of HCC.