This presentation will describe the discovery and use of the new serum biomarkers of HCC, called GP73 and its fucosylated glycoforms, identified, in part, by comparative glycoproteomics. We will also provide an explanation as to why fucosylated glycoforms are elevated in people with HCC. There are now more than 25 publications reporting that these markers are elevated in the serum of people with HCC, but there are also several papers suggesting they are no better in distinguishing between people with HCC and liver cirrhosis than are other markers such as AFP. We will also provide a theory, supported with data, as to why these differences in observations have occurred. Briefly, the etiology of the HCC, the specific linkage of the glycoform on the putative cancer biomarker as well as the ability of the cancer cells to re-fucosylate the circulating biomarkers, all play roles in how the markers are sorted and the extent to which they can be used as risk and diagnostic markers of cancer. Failure to take these variables into consideration can result in their underperformance as biomarkers of disease.

Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2011;4(10 Suppl):CN01-02.