ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo investigate the serological markers associated with posthepatectomy recurrence in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, and to establish a prognostic model to evaluate whether palliative hepatectomy is suitable for such patients. MethodsA total of 111 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent hepatectomy in the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University from February 2009 to July 2013 and received follow-up were enrolled. Basic clinical data were collected and the patients were divided into recurrence group and non-recurrence group according to whether recurrence was observed during follow-up. The t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups and the Wilcoxon rank sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and survival differences were analyzed using the log-rank test. A Cox regression analysis was used to perform univariate and multivariate analyses, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was used to evaluate prediction efficiency. ResultsThe Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that the patients with low alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), and fibrinogen and high CXCL13 had a longer median time to recurrence (P＜0.05). AFP (hazard ratio ［HR］［95%CI］=1.69(1.03~2.79), P=0.039), GGT (HR［95%CI］=1.89(1.14~3.14), P=0.014), and CXCL13 (HR［95%CI］=0.54(0.33~0.89), P=0.015) were independent factors associated with posthepatectomy recurrence. The prognostic index PI=0.526×AFP+0.637×GGT-0.616×CXCL13 established based on these factors had an AUC of 0.87, a sensitivity of 93.75%, and a specificity of 63.64% in predicting recurrence within 0-3 months after palliative hepatectomy, with a significant reduction in prediction efficiency for recurrence within 0-6 months (AUC=0.68) or a longer period of time. The recurrence prediction efficiency of this model for palliative hepatectomy was significantly higher than that for radical resection. ConclusionThe prognostic model established based on CXCL13, AFP, and GGT can be used to evaluate the risk of early recurrence after palliative hepatectomy and thus helps clinicians to make diagnosis and treatment decisions based on patients’ benefits.
ABSTRACT
Objective@#To establish and evaluate diagnostic efficacy and applicability of serum Golgi protein (GP) 73 based non-invasive diagnostic model with other conventional serological indicators for compensated stage hepatitis B cirrhosis.@*Methods@#666 cases with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who had visited to the Fifth Medical Center of People’s Liberation Army General Hospital from January 2010 to December 2017 were selected as the study subjects, and were classified according to compensated stage cirrhosis into clinical and pathological diagnosis group based on whether or not the liver histological examination was performed. A diagnostic model of compensated stage hepatitis B cirrhosis in the clinical diagnosis group was established. The current clinically used diagnostic model of liver cirrhosis, aspartate aminotransferase/platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis index (FIB)-4 and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) were compared. Eventually, the diagnostic model was verified step by step by pathological diagnosis group.@*Results@#The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of GP73 and APRI, FIB-4, and LSM for cirrhosis patients in the clinical diagnosis group were 0.842, 0.857, 0.864, and 0.832, respectively. The diagnostic efficiency of the four indicators were of similar (P value > 0.05). A diagnostic model of compensated stage hepatitis B cirrhosis (GAPA) using logistic regression analysis was established: LogitP = 1/ [1 + exp (1.614-0.054 × GP73-0.045 × Age + 0.030 × PLT-0.015 × ALP)]. The AUC of the model was as high as 0.940 and the optimal cut-off value were 0.41. The corresponding diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 0.92 and 0.82, respectively. The diagnostic efficiency was better than that of APRI, FIB-4, LSM and GP73 alone (P < 0.05). The AUC of GAPA was 0.877 in the pathological diagnosis group, which was similar to the diagnostic efficacy of LSM (0.891) and FIB-4 (0.847) (P > 0.1), but still superior to that of APRI (0.811) and GP73 alone (0.780) (P < 0.001).@*Conclusion@#GAPA, a diagnostic model for compensated stage hepatitis B cirrhosis established in this study, has a good diagnostic efficacy in both the clinical and pathological diagnosis group, and has certain auxiliary diagnostic value in the areas where resources are relatively scarce or where LSM has not been developed.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the relationship between the down-regulation expression of sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) in proliferating hepatocytes and the response to antiviral therapy of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.Methods:Sixty-eight hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive CHB patients admitted to the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from January 2011 to March 2015 were included. Basic information and laboratory data were collected. Based on the baseline (before antiviral treatment) inflammatory activity (G), the patients were divided into ≤G2 group and >G2 group. Twelve liver puncture tissue samples were selected from each group for NTCP and Ki67 immunofluorescence staining.The proportion of Ki67-positive cells was calculated, and the staining of NTCP was scored. Five pairs of tissue specimens of patients who had hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection were diagnosed with focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) and underwent nodular resection surgery from March 2014 to March 2017 were collected.Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expressions of Ki67, NTCP and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in each tissue specimen, and the proportion of staining positive cells or the staining intensity was calculated. Statistical analysis was performed by Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test or Spearman correlation analysis. Results:The proportion of Ki67-positive cells (6.75%(6.20%, 8.16%))in five liver FNH tissues with HBV infection was significantly higher than that in adjacent non-FNH tissues (0.75%(0.66%, 1.20%)), while the immunohistochemical scores of NTCP and HBsAg (3.00 (1.00, 3.00) and 2.00 (1.00, 2.00), respectively) were both significantly lower than those in adjacent non-FNH tissues (8.00 (8.00, 9.00) and 8.00 (6.00, 8.00), respectively), the differences were all statistically significant ( Z=-2.611, -2.424 and -2.635, respectively, P=0.009, 0.015 and 0.008, respectively). There were 37 patients in >G2 group, and 31 patients in ≤G2 group. After six months of antiviral treatment, CHB patients with persistent inflammation in >G2 group obtained a better virological response, with serum HBV DNA and HBeAg showing a greater decline ((0.71±0.14) lg IU/mL and (0.92±0.13) lg IU/mL, respectively) than those in ≤G2 group ((0.54±0.30) lg IU/mL and (0.49±0.65) lg IU/mL, respectively) ( Z=-3.048 and -2.666, respectively, P=0.002 and 0.008, respectively). The proportion of Ki67-positive cells in the specimens of >G2 group (4.34%(1.84%, 8.77%)) was significantly higher than that of ≤G2 group (0.34%(0, 0.80%)) ( Z=-3.640, P<0.01), and the immunohistochemical staining score of NTCP (1.00 (0, 3.25)) was significantly lower than that of ≤G2 group (6.00 (4.00, 8.00)) ( Z=-3.012, P=0.003). Spearman correlation analysis showed that the NTCP immunohistochemical score was negatively correlated with the proportion of Ki67-positive cells ( r=-0.512, P=0.01). Conclusions:CHB patients with persistent inflammationare often accompanied by more active hepatocyte proliferation and low membrane NTCP expression, which is not conducive to HBV reinfection. It may facilitate these patients to obtain better virological response.
ABSTRACT
Objective@#To investigate the prognostic value of albumin/globulin ratio on postoperative survival outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.@*Methods@#Data of 630 patients with HCC, who underwent surgical resection from February 2009 to July 2013, were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into low-value group (A/G < 1.5, defined as L group) and high-value group (A/G≥1.5, defined as H group), and their distribution characteristics were observed with the normal A/G threshold value. Independent risk factors’ affecting survival and prognosis was analyzed with univariate and multivariate Cox’s regression model. Survival trend of all patients with low-value and high-value groups in A, B and C of Barcelona stage (BCLC stage) were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method.@*Results@#Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative A/G ratio (P = 0.007), alpha-fetoprotein (P < 0.001), gamma-glutamyltransferase (P = 0.006), RBC (P = 0.014), international normalized ratio (P = 0.009), preoperative BCLC staging (P < 0.001) and number of tumors (P = 0.003), and intraoperative blood transfusion (P < 0.001) were independent prognostic factors affecting long-term survival in HCC patients. The median overall survival time in-group L was 15 months, significantly lower than that in group H of 42 months (P < 0.001). Stratified analysis showed that the short-term survival advantage of patients with high A / G value was limited to those with Barcelona stage A (P < 0.001), and disappeared in patients with Barcelona stage B and C (P > 0.05). The long-term survival advantage existed in patients with Barcelona stage A (P < 0.001), B (P < 0.05), and disappeared in C (P > 0.05).@*Conclusion@#Preoperative albumin/globulin ratio can predict postoperative prognosis and survival, and direct towards the treatment for early stage of HCC and thus representing as an indicator of high clinical value.