Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34217251›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2021

Serum epidermal growth factor-like domain 7 serves as a novel diagnostic marker for early hepatocellular carcinoma.

Meng-Yuan Yang, Fan Wu, Feng Fang, Hao Yang, Jing-Fan Zhang, Guo-Dong Chen, Lian-Yue Yang

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC cancer, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Meng-Yuan YangDepartment of Surgery, Liver Cancer Laboratory, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
Fan WuDepartment of Surgery, Liver Cancer Laboratory, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
Feng FangDepartment of Surgery, Liver Cancer Laboratory, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
Hao YangDepartment of Surgery, Liver Cancer Laboratory, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
Jing-Fan ZhangDepartment of Surgery, Liver Cancer Laboratory, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
Guo-Dong ChenDepartment of Surgery, Liver Cancer Laboratory, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
Lian-Yue YangDepartment of Surgery, Liver Cancer Laboratory, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China. lianyueyang@hotmail.com.
Xiangya Hospital Central South University · CNCentral South University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEpidermal growth factor-like domain 7 (Egfl7), a recently identified secreted protein, was significantly increased in patients with HCC by our previous studies. However, its efficacy in the diagnosis of early HCC remains unknown. In this study, we therefore evaluate the efficacy of serum Egfl7 for early HCC diagnosis and compare it with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP).

methodsSerum Egfl7 levels in testing cohort (1081 participants) and validation cohort (476 participants) were measured by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). The cut-off value of Egfl7 was determined by Youden's index and the efficacies of Egfl7 and AFP in diagnosing early HCC were estimated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC).

resultsSerum Egfl7 was significantly elevated in patients with early HCC than all non-HCC controls in whatever Testing Cohort or Validation Cohort. In the Testing Cohort, ROC curves showed the optimum cut-off value of Egfl7 was 2610 ng/mL and Egfl7 showed a significantly higher sensitivity than AFP in discriminating early HCC from healthy individuals (77.4% vs. 65.3%, P = 0.0013) but the area under ROC (AUROC) and accuracy of Egfl7 and AFP were similar (0.860 vs. 0.868, P = 0.704; 80.2% vs. 83.8%, P = 0.184). In distinguishing patients with early HCC from patients with chronic liver disease (CLD), the AUROC, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of Egfl7 were 0.800, 75.2, 71.7 and 73.5%, which were all significantly higher than AFP (0.675, 61.8, 62.0 and 61.9% in order). Egfl7 also showed a significant higher sensitivity and accuracy than AFP (76.6% vs. 64.0%, P = 0.0031; 79.9% vs. 66.1%, P < 0.0001) in differentiating early HCC patients from non-HCC individuals. Additionally, 70.8% of early HCC patients with negative AFP could be diagnosed by Egfl7 and the combined use of Egfl7 and AFP increased the sensitivity to 91.0%. These results were confirmed by a validation cohort.

conclusionEgfl7 is a valuable serum marker in the diagnosis of early HCC and could complement the efficacy of AFP, especially in distinguishing early HCC from CLD and identifying patients with AFP-negative early HCC.

Indexed as

AdultAgedBiomarkers, TumorCalcium-Binding ProteinsCarcinoma, HepatocellularEGF Family of ProteinsFemaleHumansLiver NeoplasmsMaleMiddle AgedYoung AdultBiomarkers, TumorCalcium-Binding ProteinsEGF Family of ProteinsEGFL7 protein, humanAlpha-fetoproteinEarly diagnosisEepidermal growth factor-like domain 7Hepatocellular carcinomaSerum marker

Identifiers

PMID34217251
PMCPMC8255001
OpenAlexW3115347773

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.