Serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels predict early recurrence and prognosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma after surgical resection.

Introduction: Dysregulation in lipid metabolism contributes to the occurrence and development of various cancers. The connection between changes in lipid metabolism and the development of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma remains uncertain. Our objective was to investigate the significance of blood lipid levels in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma who have undergone surgery. Methods: Ninety-seven ICC patients who underwent surgery were retrospectively enrolled. After 92.2 months of follow-up, the Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard model were used to calculate overall survival and recurrence-free survival. Results: The median age of this cohort was 56 years, and 79 (81.4 %) of them were male. Eighty-eight (90.7 %) patients presented with tumor recurrence and 73 (75.3 %) died. In multivariate analyses, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (<0.91 vs. ≥ 0.91 mmol/L, hazard ratio [HR] = 2.55; 95 % CI: 1.38-4.71), lymph node metastasis (Yes vs. No, HR = 2.58; 95 % CI: 1.28-5.19), etiology factor (chronic HBV infection vs. others, HR = 0.5; 95 % CI: 0.28-0.88) and multiple tumor lesions (Yes vs. No, HR = 1.85; 95 % CI: 1.01-3.39) were independent predictors of overall survival. However, only high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (HR = 1.86; 95 % CI: 1.19-2.92) emerged as the independent factor for recurrence-free survival. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (HR = 2.07; 95 % CI: 1.26-3.41), etiology factor (HR = 0.49; 95 % CI: 0.29-0.84), and multiple tumor lesions (HR = 2.00; 95 % CI: 1.14-3.51) were independent predictors of early recurrence. For patients who did not experience the spread of cancer to the lymph nodes, there was a significant correlation between the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and their overall survival, recurrence-free survival, and early recurrence. For patients with low pre-operation high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, high post-operation high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were associated with better prognosis. Conclusions: Low serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level might serve as a sign of poor clinical outcomes (overall survival and recurrence-free survival) and early recurrence among intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients. Strengthening the monitoring and intervention of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients with poor prognosis might be critical for improving the prognosis.

Immune infiltration-associated serum amyloid A1 predicts favorable prognosis for hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Serum amyloid A1 (SAA1) is an acute-phase protein involved in acute or chronic hepatitis. Its function is still controversial. In addition, the effect of the expression of SAA1 and its molecular function on the progression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still unclear. AIM: To demonstrate the expression of SAA1 and its effect on the prognosis in HCC and explain further the correlation of SAA1 and immunity pathways. METHODS: SAA1 expression in HCC was conducted with The Cancer Genome Atlas-Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC) in GEPIA tool, and the survival analysis based on the SAA1 expression level was achieved in the Kaplan-Meier portal. The high or low expression group was then drawn based on the median level of SAA1 expression. The correlation of SAA1 and the clinical features were conducted in the UALCAN web-based portal with TCGA-LIHC, including tumor grade, patient disease stage, and the TP53 mutation. The correlation analysis between SAA1 expression and TP53 mutation was subjected to the TCGA portal. The tumor purity score and the immune score were analyzed with CIBERSORT. The correlation of SAA1 expression and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes was achieved in TISIDB web-based integrated repository portal for tumor-immune system interactions. GSE125336 dataset was used to test the SAA1 expression in the responsive or resistant group with anti-PD1 therapy. Gene set enrichment analysis was applied to evaluate the gene enrichment signaling pathway in HCC. The similar genes of SAA1 in HCC were identified in GEPIA, and the protein-protein interaction of SAA1 was conducted in the Metascape tool. The expression of C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 2, C-C motif chemokine ligand 23, and complement C5a receptor 1 was studied and overall survival analysis in HCC was conducted in GEPIA and Kaplan-Meier portal, respectively. RESULTS: SAA1 expression was decreased in HCC, and lower SAA1 expression predicted poorer overall survival, progression-free survival, and disease-specific survival. Furthermore, SAA1 expression was further decreased with increased tumor grade and patient disease stage. Also, SAA1 expression was further downregulated in patients with TP53 mutation compared with patients with wild type TP53. SAA1 expression was negatively correlated with the TP53 mutation. Lower SAA1 predicted poorer survival rate, especially in the patients with no hepatitis virus infection, other than those with hepatitis virus infection. Moreover, the SAA1 expression was negatively correlated with tumor purity. In contrast, SAA1 expression was positively correlated with the immune score in HCC, and the correlation analysis between SAA1 expression and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes also showed a positive correlation in HCC. Decreased SAA1 was closely associated with the immune tolerance of HCC. C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 2 and C-C motif chemokine ligand 23 genes were identified as the hub genes associated with SAA1, which could also serve as favorable prognosis markers for HCC. CONCLUSION: SAA1 is downregulated in the liver tumor, and it is closely involved in the progression of HCC. Lower SAA1 expression indicates lower survival rate, especially for those patients without hepatitis virus infection. Lower SAA1 expression also suggests lower immune infiltrating cells, especially for those with immune cells exerting anti-tumor immune function. SAA1 expression is closely associated with the anti-tumor immune pathways.

[The immunostimulatory study on peripheral blood mononuclear cell and CD4+ T lymphocyte of HBV infections that were activated by CpG oligonucleotide].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of CpG oligodeoxyribonucleotide (ODN) as adjuvant on the immune responses in PBMC and CD4+ T cell with chronic hepatitis B virus. METHODS: The selected 20 infections were averagely divided two groups. The frequency of IFN-gamma secreting PBMC and CD4+ T cell in immune tolerant phase and in the immune clearance phase that had stimulated by CpG ODN, HBsAg and Mixture [CpG ODN + HBsAg] were analyzed by enzyme linked immune spot (ELISOT). RESULTS: The PBMC and CD4+ T cell were differently incubated by CpG ODN, HBsAg and M [CpG ODN + HBsAg]. The number of IFN-gamma spot differently are 3 +/- 8, 339 +/- 429, 375 +/- 496, 1 +/- 4, 5 +/- 16 and 5 +/- 12; the results of immume tolerance are 3 +/- 8, 361 +/- 153, 375 +/- 276, 0 +/- 2, 2 +/- 2 and 4 +/- 4; but the results of immune clearance are 3 +/- 21, 289 +/- 345, 405 +/- 656, 2 +/- 14, 8 +/- 40 and 7 +/- 30. The IFN-gamma spots statistical analysis of PBMC were differently incubated by HBsAg and M, the total is P = 0.720, The IFN-gamma spots statistical analysis of CD4+ T cell were differently incubated by HBsAg and M, the total is P = 0.890, The IFN-gamma spots statistical analysis of PBMC and CD4+ T cell were differently incubated by M, the total is P = 0.000. CONCLUSIONS: The ability that CpG ODN can not significantly increase the IFN-gamma secreting of PBMC and CD4+ T cell that were incubated by HBsAg to the infection in immune tolerant phase and in the immune clearance phase, but the PBMC outweighed The CD4 T cell.