PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - HASEGAWA, YASUYUKI
AU  - TOMITA, KATSUYUKI
AU  - HASHIMOTO, KIYOSHI
AU  - SHIGEOKA, YASUSHI
AU  - WATANABE, MASANARI
AU  - YAMASAKI, AKIRA
AU  - SHIMIZU, EIJI
TI  - Des-γ-carboxy Prothrombin (PIVKA-II)-producing Mediastinal Embryonal Carcinoma with Features of Hepatoid Differentiation
DP  - 2005 Nov 01
TA  - Anticancer Research
PG  - 4569--4571
VI  - 25
IP  - 6C
4099  - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/25/6C/4569.short
4100  - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/25/6C/4569.full
SO  - Anticancer Res2005 Nov 01; 25
AB  - The case of a 48-year-old man with primary nonseminomatous embryonal carcinoma at the posterior mediastinum is described. The patient displayed extremely high plasma levels of Des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (PIVKA-II) (4040 mAU/ml). Ultrasonography and dynamic computed tomography ruled out hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or liver metastasis. After preoperative systemic chemotherapy, total tumor resection was performed. Postoperatively, the plasma levels of PIVKA-II returned to within the normal range (24 mAU/ml). An immnohistochemical study using anti-PIVKA-II monoclonal antibody revealed the cytoplasmic expression of PIVKA-II in the carcinoma cells. These results indicate that tumor cells, which are manifested as hepatoid differentiation, may produce PIVKA-II. This case seems to be the first case reported in which PIVKA-II was produced by nonseminomatous mediastinal embryonal carcinoma without HCC or liver metastasis. Copyright© 2005 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved