OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of different clinicopathologic variables on serum protein fingerprint in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.

METHODSSerum samples were collected from 112 HCC patients, Special serum protein or peptide spectra was determined by surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) measurement after treating the sample onto weak cation exchange (WCX2) protein chip for each case. The serum protein profiles were compared by BioMarker Wizard Software among the patients stratified according to gender, AFP, presence of portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT), tumor size, tumor number, presence of cirrhosis, respectively.

RESULTSAccording to serum protein fingerprints of 112 HCC patients, a total of 100 protein peaks were identified at the m/z value ranging from 1100 to 30,000. (1) Sixteen significant differential proteins were found between the groups of HCC with single tumor and those with multiple tumors (P < 0.01). (2) Only one significant differential protein was found between the groups of HCC with tumor size > 3 cm and those with tumor size 5 cm and those with tumor size 10 cm and those with tumor size

CONCLUSIONSPVTT, tumor number and tumor size had significant effects on serum protein fingerprint, while no significant effect on serum protein from gender, presence of cirrhosis and AFP. The most profound impact on the serum protein was attained when cutoff was chosen to be presence of Ma-PVTT compared to less effect from Mi-PVTT and 5cm for tumor size.