D-dimer plasmatic levels as a marker for diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with portal vein thrombosis.

Purpose: Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is one of the severe complications of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). PVT deteriorates the liver, and its dysfunction increases the risk of bleeding, influencing the prognosis of patients with liver cirrhosis and HCC. The aim of our study was to investigate whether D-dimer testing could be a sensitive marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC patients with PVT.

Patients and methods: Between June 2010 and December 2015, 118 HCC patients were admitted to Cannizzaro Hospital, Catania, and 50 controls were recruited from their relatives for health examinations. All enrolled patients were diagnosed and pathologically confirmed as having HCC. D-dimer was measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using 2 monoclonal antibodies against nonoverlapping determinants of D-dimer.

Results: D-dimer levels in HCC patients with PVT were significantly higher vs HCC patients without PVT, P <0.002, and vs controls, P <0.001.

Conclusion: Plasma D-dimer is a sensitive marker of fibrin turnover and allows for the recognition of activated coagulation which may be manifested in HCC with PVT.