Abstract: Objective To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of combined detection of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and decarboxylprothrombin (DCP) for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods 75 patients with HCC and 53 patients without HCC were selected as study subjects. Serum AFP and DCP levels were measured simultaneously. The receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) curves of AFP, DCP and their combined detection were plotted to calculate and evaluate the best serological markers for the diagnosis of HCC.Results The area under the ROC curve for AFP and DCP diagnosis of HCC was 0.789 and 0.882, respectively. When the diagnostic threshold of AFP was reduced to 22.6 ng/mL, the corresponding diagnostic efficiency was the best (sensitivity was 66.7%, specificity was 88.7%); The optimum critical value of DCP for the diagnosis of HCC was 39.0 mAu/ml, the corresponding sensitivity was 72.0% and the specificity was 94.3%. The sensitivity and specificity of combined detection of AFP and DCP for the diagnosis of HCC were 77.3% and 90.6% respectively.Conclusion DCP has important value for the differential diagnosis of HCC. Lowering the AFP diagnostic threshold accompanied with DCP detection can improve the identification rate of HCC.

Key words: Hepatocellular carcinoma, Alpha-fetoprotein, Des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin, Sensitivity, Specificity