Abstract: Objective To investigate the value of combining serum levels of leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2 (LECT2) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) with ultrasound for the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods The information of patients who underwent liver biopsy or surgical pathology due to space-occupying liver lesions admitted from June 2021 to September 2023 was collected. Patients with early HCC were included in the observation group (n=57), and the remaining HCC patients were included in the control group (n=95). The levels of serum AFP, LECT2 were detected the liver lesions were examed with ultrosound. The diagnostic value of the detected indicators was explored by univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve method. Results Compared with the control group, the observation group had significant differences in the positive rate of AFP (15.79% vs 71.93%), LECT2 level (34.84±19.14 ng/mL vs 54.54±20.70 ng/mL), abnormal ultrasound morphology (42.11% vs 59.65%), abnormal blood flow signal (12.63% vs 26.32%) and Young′s modulus of ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) (47.23±7.88 kPa vs 37.37±8.12 kPa) (P<0.05). By logistic regression analysis it was shown that AFP positive, LECT2 level, abnormal blood flow signal and SWE were reliable indicators for the early diagnosis of HCC (P<0.05). ROC analysis results showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of AFP positive was 0.781, the AUC of LECT2 was 0.764, the AUC of abnormal ultrasound blood flow signal was 0.568, the AUC of SWE was 0.719, and the AUC of combined indicators was 0.901, which had the highest diagnostic value. Conclusion The combination of serum AFP, LECT2, ultrasonic blood flow situation and SWE testing index is a good strategy for the early detection of HCC, and may ultimately improve the therapeutic effect and prognosis of the patients.

Key words: Hepatocellular carcinoma, AFP, LECT2, Ultrasound