Diagnostic utility of leptin and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 in hepatocellular carcinoma of diabetic and non-diabetic Egyptian patients

Purpose: To elucidate the possible diagnostic utility of adipokines and insulin growth factor binding proteins in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diabetic subjects. Methods: Seventy five patients were divided equally into 3 groups as follows: healthy normal control (NC), non-diabetic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and diabetic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC-DM). Serum levels of leptin, insulin growth factor binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) were measured. Correlation and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was carried out. Results: HCC and HCC-DM groups showed changes in body mass index (BMI, p > 0.05 and p < 0.001 respectively), glucose, insulin, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), liver function tests and AFP (p < 0.001). Leptin levels increased significantly in both HCC and HCC-DM (p < 0.001). Furthermore, IGFBP-2 showed significant increase in both groups (p < 0.001). Both leptin and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) displayed significant positive correlation with AFP (p < 0.001). ROC analysis indicate different diagnostic accuracies for the tested markers for the various groups. Conclusion: Leptin and IGFBP-2 demonstrate significant potentials as diagnostic tools for HCC patients, especially diabetic cases, with IGFBP-2 displaying the highest diagnostic accuracy for HCC and HCC-DM groups.