Antibody assay for the detection and treatment of liver cancer

A method of detecting and treating liver cancer in a mammalian subject, wherein two or more autoantibodies are detected, the method comprising:

• (a) obtaining a test sample comprising a bodily fluid from a mammalian subject;
• (b) contacting the test sample with a panel of two or more tumour marker antigens comprising a tumour marker antigen panel consisting of MMP9, AIF1, EpCAM and CDKN1B and one or more further tumour marker antigens immunologically specific for at least one of the two or more autoantibodies;
• (c) detecting the presence or absence of complexes of the two or more of the tumour marker antigens of the tumour marker antigen panel bound to autoantibodies present in the test sample;
• and
• (d) administering a liver cancer treatment to the subject when complexes of the two or more of the tumour marker antigens bound to autoantibodies present in the test sample are detected.

A method of diagnosing and treating liver cancer in a mammalian subject by detecting an antibody in a test sample comprising a bodily fluid from the mammalian subject, wherein the antibody is an autoantibody immunologically specific for one or more tumour marker proteins selected from the group consisting of MMP9, AIF1, EpCAM and CDKN1B, which method comprises the steps of:

• (a) contacting the test sample with a tumour marker antigen panel consisting of MMP9, AIF1, EpCAM and CDKN1B;
• (b) determining the presence or absence of complexes of one or more of the tumour marker antigens, of the tumour marker antigen panel, bound to autoantibodies present in the test sample;
• (c) diagnosing the subject with liver cancer when complexes of the one or more of the tumor marker antigens, of the tumour marker antigen panel, bound to autoantibodies present in the test sample are detected;
• and
• (d) administering a liver cancer treatment to the diagnosed subject.

A method of predicting response to an anti-liver cancer treatment, the method comprising detecting an antibody in a test sample comprising a bodily fluid from a mammalian subject, wherein the antibody is an autoantibody immunologically specific for one or more tumour marker proteins consisting of MMP9, AIF1, EpCAM and CDKN1B, which method comprises the steps of:

• (a) contacting the test sample with a tumour marker antigen panel consisting of MMP9, AIF1, EpCAM and CDKN1B;
• (b) determining the presence or absence of complexes of one or more of the tumour marker antigens, of the tumour marker antigen panel, bound to autoantibodies present in the test sample;
• (c) detecting an amount of specific binding between the one or more of the tumour marker antigens, of the tumour marker antigen panel, and autoantibodies present in the test sample;
• and
• (d) comparing the amount of specific binding between the one or more of the tumour marker antigens, of the tumour marker antigen panel, and the autoantibodies with a previously established relationship between the amount of binding and the likely outcome of treatment;
• whereby a change in the amount of specific binding, when compared to controls, predicts that the patient will or will not respond to the anti-liver cancer treatment;
• (e) administering a liver cancer treatment to the subject when complexes of the one or more of the tumour marker antigens bound to autoantibodies present in the test sample are detected.