PIVKA-II, an abnormal prothrombin induced by vitamin K deficiency, is widely used as a specific marker for hepatocellular carcinoma. We observed a marked elevation of PIVKA-II in the serum from 12 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma just after hepatectomy, when we determined PIVKA-II by CLEIA (431-23,968mAU/ml). However, 10 of the 12 patients showed normal levels of PIVKA-II when re-tested by ECLIA (1-21mAU/ml). The false positive results with CLEIA were thought to be associated with the use of anti-bleeding sheets at hepatectomy.
