Microheterogeneity analysis of serum transferrin before and after therapies to hepatocellular carcinoma

The reactivity of transferrin (Tf) with concanavalin A (Con A) was examined by crossed immuno-affinity electrophoresis (CIAE) of the sera from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Serum Tf was separated into three species — Cl (Con A-nonreactive), C2 (-weakly reactive) and C3 (-reactive) —designated consecutively from the anode by CIAE. Nineteen pairs of serum samples were evaluated before and 1 month after therapies for HCC by transcatheter arterial embolization and/or percutaneous ethanol injection, and surgical resection. The significant decrease in the mean percentage of Tf-Cl species was observed after the above therapies, although there was no statistical difference between the serum Tf concentration before and after therapies. Thus, the present study suggests that the measurement of these species would be useful as an index of several therapeutic effects on HCC, especially in the case of α-fetoprotein (AFP) and des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (DCP)-non-producing HCC.