Urinary pseudouridine as a biochemical marker in the diagnosis and monitoring of primary hepatocellular carcinoma
Tamura, S.; Fujioka, H.; Nakano, T.; Amuro, Y.; Hada, T.; Nakao, N.; Higashino, K.
American Journal of Gastroenterology 83(8): 841-845
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9270 PMID: 2456010 Document Number: 310288
The urinary level of pseudouridine, primarily a degradation product of transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA), was determined in 38 patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma, 18 with liver cirrhosis, 12 with chronic hepatitis, nine with acute hepatitis, and 28 healthy subjects. The mean urinary pseudouridine concentration was significantly higher in the patients with hepatoma [38.2 .+-. 12.8 (SD) nmol/.mu.mol creatinine] than in those with liver cirrhosis (20.3 .+-. 6.8), chronic hepatitis (24.4 .+-. 8.2), and acute hepatitis (21.7 .+-. 8.2), and in healthy subjects (23.8 .+-. 4.9). Urinary pseudouridine level was elevated above the mean value plus 2 SD for the healthy subjects (33.6 nmol/.mu.mol creatinine) in 71% of our hepatoma cases. Serum .alpha.-fetoprotein levels correlated poorly with urinary pseudouridine levels, thus, the combination assay for urinary pseudouridine and serum .alpha.-fetoprotein could detect 79% of the patients with hepatoma. Moreover, urinary pseudouridine level was reduced after effective transcatheter arterial embolization therapy.