DES-GAMMA CARBOXY PROTHROMBIN (DCP)/PIVKA II, SERUM

DES-GAMMA CARBOXYPROTHROMBIN (DCP) ALSO KNOWN AS PIVKA II (PROTHROMBIN INDUCED BY VITAMIN K ANTAGONIST II) IS AN ABNORMAL PROTHROMBIN THAT IS INCREASED IN THE SERA OF PATIENTS WITH HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA (HCC). UNLIKE AFP, IT IS NOT ELEVATED IN CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE, CIRRHOSIS, PREGNANCY OR GERM CELL TUMORS. IT IS A COMPLEMENTARY BIOMARKER TO AFP IN HCC AND INCREASES THE SENSITIVITY (83%) AND SPECIFICITY (84%) FOR HCC WHEN USED IN COMBINATION. IT IS RECOMMENDED TO MEASURE TWO OR MORE DIFFERENT TUMOR MARKERS (AFP, DCP OR AFP L3) FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF HCC AT AN EARLY STAGE. MOREOVER, DCP HAS BEEN FOUND TO CORRELATE BETTER WITH TUMOR SIZE, HISTOLOGICAL GRADE, PORTAL VEIN INVASION AND/OR INTRAHEPATIC METASTASIS IN PATIENTS WITH HCC.