Serum Olink Proteomics Reveals Novel Biomarkers for Early Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly prevalent malignant tumor in China, and early diagnosis critically affects the prognosis. Current imaging and pathological biopsy techniques have limitations, including high invasiveness and limited accessibility, while the insufficient sensitivity of serum biomarkers (such as AFP) restricts their use in early screening. In this study, using the Olink proteomics platform based on the proximity extension assay (PEA), we screened for hepatocellular carcinoma-related differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) and constructed a multiprotein diagnostic model. In the discovery cohort, we included 15 patients with newly diagnosed HCCs and 16 healthy controls. DEPs were identified using Olink, and their diagnostic performance was analyzed to identify the candidate biomarkers. In an independent validation cohort, including 116 HCC patients (50 early stage, 66 late stage) and 83 healthy controls, we further validated the expression levels and diagnostic performance of identified proteins─C1QA and GFER. The C1QA and GFER expression levels were significantly higher in the serum of patients with early and late HCC stages compared to healthy controls. By constructing a multiprotein diagnostic model, we identified C1QA, GFER, and AFP as the optimal diagnostic combination, demonstrating a combined diagnostic AUC of 0.92 and 0.99 for early-stage and advanced-stage HCC, respectively.