Serum type IV collagen-degrading enzyme in hepatocellular carcinoma with metastasis.

The activity of serum type IV collagen-degrading enzyme was measured in 18 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The enzyme activity was significantly higher, in HCC patients with a tumor thrombus in the portal vein than in healthy controls, liver cirrhosis patients and HCC patients without a tumor thrombus. Moreover, the activity in HCC patients with lung metastasis tended to be higher than that in HCC patients without lung metastasis. The activity of serum type IV collagen-degrading enzyme did not correlate with tumor size, serum alpha-fetoprotein level, or macroscopic classification of tumor growth. These results suggest that the activity of serum type IV collagen-degrading enzyme represents the metastatic potential or the ongoing metastatic activity of HCC. The enzyme is a useful serum marker of metastasis from HCC.