Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Early detection of HCC is essential for improved prognosis and long-term survival. Golgi protein-73 (GP73) and Dickkopf-1 (DKK1), can be used as noninvasive biomarkers for early diagnosis of HCC. Aim of the work: measure and assess the clinical utility of Golgi protein-73 and Dickkopf-1 as noninvasive biomarkers for early diagnosis of HCC. This study included 60 patients: 30 patients with HCC, 30 patients with cirrhosis together with 30 healthy controls. There was a highly significant difference in GP73 and DKK1 between all the studied groups. There was a highly significant positive correlation between GP73 and DKK1 and a significant negative correlation between (GP73 and albumin) and (DKK1 and ALT) in group I. GP73, DKK-1 correlated with the number, overall size, and lymph node metastasis. GP73 and DKK1 can serve as diagnostic serologic markers for early HCC as they had high sensitivity and specificity, correlated with the aggressiveness of the tumor superior to AFP. The combined use of GP73, DKK-1, and AFP increased the sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of HCC than each one alone.
Keywords: DICKKOPF-1 (DKK1); Hepatocellular carcinoma; diagnostic biomarker; golgi membrane protein (GP73).