Journal of Hepatocellular Carcinoma最新文献

{"title":"New HCC Subtypes Based on CD8 Tex-Related lncRNA Signature Could Predict Prognosis, Immunological and Drug Sensitivity Characteristics of Hepatocellular Carcinoma","authors":"Jiachen Ge, Ming Tao, Gaolei Zhang, Jianping Cai, Deyu Li, Lianyuan Tao","doi":"10.2147/jhc.s459150","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/jhc.s459150","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Purpose:</strong> Hepatocellular carcinoma has become one of the severe diseases threatening human health. T cell exhaustion is deemed as a reason for immunotherapy resistance. However, little is known about the roles of CD8 Tex-related lncRNAs in HCC.<br/><strong>Materials and Methods:</strong> We processed single-cell RNA sequencing to identify CD8 Tex-related genes. CD8 Tex-related lncRNAs were identified based on their correlations with mRNAs. Unsupervised clustering approach was used to identify molecular clusters of CD8 Tex-related lncRNAs. Differences in prognosis and immune infiltration between the clusters were explored. Machine learning algorithms were used to construct a prognostic signature. Samples were classified as low- and high-risk groups based on their risk scores. We identified prognosis-related lncRNAs and constructed a ceRNA network. In vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the impacts of CD8 Tex-related lncRNAs on proliferation and apoptosis of HCC cells.<br/><strong>Results:</strong> We clarified cell types within two HCC single-cell datasets. We identified specific markers of CD8 Tex cells and analyzed their potential functions. Twenty-eight lncRNAs were identified as CD8 Tex-related. Based on CD8 Tex-related lncRNAs, samples were categorized into two distinct clusters, which exhibited significant differences in survival rates and immune infiltration. Ninety-six algorithm combinations were employed to establish a prognostic signature. RSF emerged as the one with the highest C-index. Patients in high- and low-risk groups exhibited marked differences in prognosis, enriched pathways, mutations and drug sensitivities. MCM3AP-AS1, MAPKAPK5-AS1 and PART1 were regarded as prognosis-related lncRNAs. A ceRNA network was constructed based on CD8 Tex-related lncRNAs and mRNAs. Experiments on cell lines and organoids indicated that downregulation of MCM3AP-AS1, MAPKAPK5-AS1 and PART1 suppressed cell proliferation and induced apoptosis.<br/><strong>Conclusion:</strong> CD8 Tex-related lncRNAs played crucial roles in HCC progression. Our findings provided new insights into the regulatory mechanisms of CD8 Tex-related lncRNAs in HCC.<br/><br/><strong>Keywords:</strong> hepatocellular carcinoma, lncRNA, T cell exhaustion, single-cell RNA-seq, machine learning, prognostic signature<br/>","PeriodicalId":15906,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hepatocellular Carcinoma","volume":"41 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141546417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Impact of Proton Pump Inhibitors on the Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Combinations in Patients with HBV-Associated Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma","authors":"Ningning Wang, Yuanyuan Xu, Guangde Yang, He Chen, Xia Wang, Juanjuan Fu, Li Li, Xiucheng Pan","doi":"10.2147/jhc.s464033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/jhc.s464033","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Purpose:</strong> There is limited research on whether Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) will affect the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).This study aimed to determine whether PPIs affect the survival outcomes of patients with HBV-associated advanced HCC receiving combination therapy based on ICIs.<br/><strong>Methods:</strong> We retrospectively analyzed patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated advanced HCC who underwent ICIs combination therapy from January 1, 2020, to December 30, 2022. Patients were stratified into PPI and non-PPI groups based on whether they received PPI treatment within 30 days before or after ICIs therapy. Patients’ survival and the risk of PPI-associated mortality was assessed. Adverse events were also evaluated.<br/><strong>Results:</strong> A total of 183 patients with HBV-associated HCC treated with ICI combination therapy were included. The median survival time (12.5 months vs 13.7 months, <em>P</em> = 0.285) and incidence of adverse events (<em>P</em> = 0.729) did not significantly differ between the PPI and non-PPI groups. Even after propensity score matching, the difference in median overall survival (OS) between the two groups was not significant (10.7 months vs 11.4 months; <em>P</em> = 0.596) and the patient’s OS is not significantly related to the dosage of PPI application (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05).However, according to our subgroup analysis, among HCC patients with a serum HBV DNA concentration ≥ 200 IU/mL, the use of PPIs significantly increased the risk of mortality in patients receiving ICI combination therapy (<em>P</em> = 0.024).<br/><strong>Conclusion:</strong> PPIs do not notably influence the survival prognosis of patients receiving ICI combination therapy for HBV-associated advanced HCC. However, among patients with high levels of HBV DNA, PPIs increase the risk of mortality. Therefore, antiviral therapy should be intensified in the patients with HBVDNA &gt; 200 IU/mL. Additionally, PPIs do not impact the incidence of adverse reactions in these patients.<br/><br/><strong>Keywords:</strong> hepatocellular carcinoma, immune checkpoint inhibitors, proton pump inhibitors, chronic hepatitis B virus infection<br/>","PeriodicalId":15906,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hepatocellular Carcinoma","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141546419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Decision-Tree Models Indicative of Microvascular Invasion on MRI Predict Survival in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Following Tumor Ablation","authors":"Robin Schmidt, Charlie Alexander Hamm, Christopher Rueger, Han Xu, Yubei He, Luzie Alexandra Gottwald, Bernhard Gebauer, Lynn Jeanette Savic","doi":"10.2147/jhc.s454487","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/jhc.s454487","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Purpose:</strong> Histological microvascular invasion (MVI) is a risk factor for poor survival and early recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after surgery. Its prognostic value in the setting of locoregional therapies (LRT), where no tissue samples are obtained, remains unknown. This study aims to establish CT-derived indices indicative of MVI on liver MRI with superior soft tissue contrast and evaluate their association with patient survival after ablation via interstitial brachytherapy (iBT) versus iBT combined with prior conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE).<br/><strong>Patients and Methods:</strong> Ninety-five consecutive patients, who underwent ablation via iBT alone (n = 47) or combined with cTACE (n = 48), were retrospectively included between 01/2016 and 12/2017. All patients received contrast-enhanced MRI prior to LRT. Overall (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and time-to-progression (TTP) were assessed. Decision-tree models to determine Radiogenomic Venous Invasion (RVI) and Two-Trait Predictor of Venous Invasion (TTPVI) on baseline MRI were established, validated on an external test set (TCGA-LIHC), and applied in the study cohorts to investigate their prognostic value for patient survival. Statistics included Fisher’s exact and <em>t</em>-test, Kaplan–Meier and cox-regression analysis, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) and Pearson’s correlation.<br/><strong>Results:</strong> OS, PFS, and TTP were similar in both treatment groups. In the external dataset, RVI showed low sensitivity but relatively high specificity (AUC-ROC = 0.53), and TTPVI high sensitivity but only low specificity (AUC-ROC = 0.61) for histological MVI. In patients following iBT alone, positive RVI and TTPVI traits were associated with poorer OS (RVI: p &lt; 0.01; TTPVI: p = 0.08), PFS (p = 0.04; p = 0.04), and TTP (p = 0.14; p = 0.03), respectively. However, when patients with combined cTACE and iBT were stratified by RVI or TTPVI, no differences in OS (p = 0.75; p = 0.55), PFS (p = 0.70; p = 0.43), or TTP (p = 0.33; p = 0.27) were observed.<br/><strong>Conclusion:</strong> The study underscores the role of non-invasive imaging biomarkers indicative of MVI to identify patients, who would potentially benefit from embolotherapy via cTACE prior to ablation rather than ablation alone.<br/><br/><strong>Keywords:</strong> cancer imaging, hepatocellular carcinoma, microvascular invasion, magnetic resonance tomography, predictive imaging biomarkers<br/>","PeriodicalId":15906,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hepatocellular Carcinoma","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141531920","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Breaking the Barriers of Therapy Resistance: Harnessing Ferroptosis for Effective Hepatocellular Carcinoma Therapy","authors":"Xianmei Lv, Gaochen Lan, Lujian Zhu, Qiusheng Guo","doi":"10.2147/jhc.s469449","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/jhc.s469449","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Abstract:</strong> Ferroptosis is a type of cell death that relies on iron and is distinguished by the occurrence of lipid peroxidation and the buildup of reactive oxygen species. Ferroptosis has been demonstrated to have a significant impact on the advancement and resistance to treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), thereby highlighting its potential as a viable therapeutic target. Ferroptosis was observed in HCC tissues in contrast to normal liver tissue. The inhibition of ferroptosis has been found to increase the viability of HCC cells and decrease their susceptibility to various anticancer therapies, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immune checkpoint blockade. The administration of drugs that directly modulate ferroptosis regulators or induce excessive production of lipid-reactive oxygen species has demonstrated the potential to enhance the responsiveness of drug-resistant HCC cells to treatment. However, the precise mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains ambiguous. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the crucial role played by ferroptosis in enhancing the efficacy of treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The main aim of this study is to examine the feasibility of utilizing ferroptosis as a therapeutic approach to improve the efficacy of HCC treatment and overcome drug resistance. <br/><br/><strong>Keywords:</strong> ferroptosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, chemotherapy, tyrosine kinase inhibitor, immunosuppressive therapy, radiotherapy<br/>","PeriodicalId":15906,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hepatocellular Carcinoma","volume":"148 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141504594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prognostic Value of Alpha-Fetoprotein in Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Hepatic Artery Infusion Chemotherapy Combined with Lenvatinib and Camrelizumab","authors":"Yongqiang Xiao, Wanqing Chen, Wei Deng, Guoqing Zhu, Jin Xie, Laihui Luo, Liucong Lin, Jiahao Tao, Zhigao Hu, Renfeng Shan","doi":"10.2147/jhc.s460922","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/jhc.s460922","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Purpose:</strong> This study aimed to assess the prognostic significance of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) response in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (u-HCC) who underwent hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) combined with lenvatinib and camrelizumab.<br/><strong>Methods:</strong> A retrospective review was conducted on patients with u-HCC receiving treatment with HAIC combined with lenvatinib and camrelizumab. Early AFP response was defined as a &gt; 20% decrease in AFP within 4 weeks, and AFP response as a &gt; 75% decrease in AFP within 8 weeks. The correlation between early AFP response, AFP response, therapeutic response, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) was investigated.<br/><strong>Results:</strong> The study included 63 patients. AFP responders exhibited superior objective response rates compared to AFP non-responders, as determined by RECIST v1.1 or mRECIST criteria (45.5 vs. 18.2%, <em>p</em>=0.014, or 81.8 vs. 48.5%, <em>p</em>=0.013). Furthermore, early AFP responders demonstrated prolonged OS (not reached vs. 8.0 months, <em>p</em>&lt; 0.001) and PFS (13.3 vs. 3.0 months, <em>p</em>= 0.018) relative to early AFP non-responders. Similarly, AFP responders exhibited improved OS (not reached vs. 9.0 months, <em>p</em>&lt; 0.001) and PFS (19.3 vs. 5.1 months, <em>p</em>=0.002) compared to AFP non-responders. Multivariate analysis results indicated that both early AFP response and AFP response independently predicted OS [hazard ratio (HR) 2.963, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.333– 6.585, <em>p</em>=0.008, and HR 6.182, 95% CI 1.780– 21.466, <em>p</em>=0.004] and PFS (HR 2.186, 95% CI 1.107– 4.318, <em>p</em>=0.024, and HR 3.078, 95% CI 1.407– 6.730, <em>p</em>=0.005), serving as significant prognostic values.<br/><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Early AFP response and AFP response serve as predictive biomarkers for the effectiveness of HAIC combined with lenvatinib and camrelizumab in patients with u-HCC.<br/><br/><strong>Keywords:</strong> unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, alpha-fetoprotein, hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy, lenvatinib, camrelizumab<br/>","PeriodicalId":15906,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hepatocellular Carcinoma","volume":"205 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141523118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Limited Generalizability of Retrospective Single-Center Cohort Study in Comparison to Multicenter Cohort Study on Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma","authors":"Ye Rim Kim, Sung Won Chung, Min-Ju Kim, Won-Mook Choi, Jonggi Choi, Danbi Lee, Han Chu Lee, Ju Hyun Shim","doi":"10.2147/jhc.s456093","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/jhc.s456093","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Introduction:</strong> We aimed to evaluate the generalizability of retrospective single-center cohort studies on prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by comparing overall survival (OS) after various treatments between a nationwide multicenter cohort and a single-center cohort of HCC patients.<br/><strong>Methods:</strong> Patients newly diagnosed with HCC between January 2008 and December 2018 were analyzed using data from the Korean Primary Liver Cancer Registry (multicenter cohort, n=16,443), and the Asan Medical Center HCC registry (single-center cohort, n=15,655). The primary outcome, OS after initial treatment, was compared between the two cohorts for both the entire population and for subcohorts with Child-Pugh A liver function (n=2797 and n=5151, respectively) treated according to the Barcelona-Clinic-Liver-Cancer (BCLC) strategy, using Log rank test and Cox proportional hazard models.<br/><strong>Results:</strong> Patients of BCLC stages 0 and A (59.3% vs 35.2%) and patients who received curative treatment (42.1% vs 32.1%) were more frequently observed in the single-center cohort (<em>Ps</em>&lt; 0.001). Multivariable analysis revealed significant differences between the two cohorts in OS according to type of treatment: the multicenter cohort was associated with higher risk of mortality among patients who received curative (adjusted hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], 1.48 [1.39– 1.59]) and non-curative (1.22 [1.17– 1.27]) treatments, whereas the risk was lower in patients treated with systemic therapy (0.83 [0.74– 0.92]) and best supportive care (0.85 [0.79– 0.91]). Subcohort analysis also demonstrated significantly different OS between the two cohorts, with a higher risk of mortality in multicenter cohort patients who received chemoembolization (1.72 [1.48– 2.00]) and ablation (1.44 [1.08– 1.92]).<br/><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Comparisons of single-center and multicenter cohorts of HCC patients revealed significant differences in OS according to treatment modality after adjustment for prognostic variables. Therefore, the results of retrospective single-center cohort studies of HCC treatments may not be generalizable to real-world practice.<br/><br/><strong>Keywords:</strong> BCLC, UICC, liver cancer, retrospective cohort, external validation<br/>","PeriodicalId":15906,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hepatocellular Carcinoma","volume":"41 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141523119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Potential of the lncRNAs ADAMTSL4-AS1, AC067931 and SOCS2-AS1 in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells as Novel Diagnostic Biomarkers for Hepatitis B Virus-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma.","authors":"Weiwei Guan, Congyue Zhang, Tongguo Miao, Chen Dong, Lu Li, Xiwei Yuan, Dandan Zhao, Rong Ai, Xiaoxiao Zhang, Mengjiao Sun, Haiyan Kang, Yuemin Nan","doi":"10.2147/JHC.S463804","DOIUrl":"10.2147/JHC.S463804","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) might be closely associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression and could serve as diagnostic and prognostic markers. This study aimed to investigate lncRNA-based diagnostic biomarkers for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated HCC.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>High-throughput transcriptome sequencing was conducted on the liver tissues of 15 patients with HBV-associated liver diseases (5 with chronic hepatitis B [CHB], 5 with liver cirrhosis [LC], and 5 with HCC). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze lncRNA expressions. Potential diagnostic performance for HBV-associated HCC screening was evaluated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Through trend analysis and functional analysis, we found that 8 lncRNAs were gradually upregulated and 1 lncRNA was progressively downregulated by regulation of target mRNAs and downstream HCC-associated signaling pathways. The validation of dysregulated lncRNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and HCC tissues by qRT-PCR revealed that ADAMTSL4-AS1, SOCS2-AS1, and AC067931 were significantly increased in HCC compared with CHB and cirrhosis. Moreover, differentially expressed lncRNAs were aberrantly elevated in Huh7, Hep3B, HepG2, and HepG2.215 cells compared with LX2 cells. Furthermore, ADAMTSL4-AS1, SOCS2-AS1, and AC067931 were identified as novel biomarkers for HBV-associated HCC. For distinguishing HCC from CHB, ADAMTSL4-AS1, AC067931, and SOCS2-AS1 combined with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.945 (sensitivity, 83.9%; specificity, 89.8%). Similarly, for distinguishing HCC from LC, this combination had an AUC of 0.871 (sensitivity, 91.1%; specificity, 68.2%). Furthermore, this combination showed the highest diagnostic ability to distinguish HCC from CHB and LC (AUC, 0.905; sensitivity, 91.1%; specificity, 75.3%). In particular, this combination identified AFP-negative (AFP < 20 ng/mL) (AUC = 0.814), small (AUC = 0.909), and early stage (AUC = 0.863) tumors.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>ADAMTSL4-AS1, SOCS2-AS1, and AC067931 combined with AFP in PBMCs may serve as a noninvasive diagnostic biomarker for HBV-associated HCC, especially AFP-negative, small, and early stage HCC.</p>","PeriodicalId":15906,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hepatocellular Carcinoma","volume":"11 ","pages":"1221-1233"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11217008/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141492243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy and Safety Analysis of Transarterial Chemoembolization Plus Donafenib With or Without Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Prospective, Single-Arm, Single-Center, Phase II Clinical Study.","authors":"Jinpeng Li, Yan Li, Jinlong Song, Lujun Zhao","doi":"10.2147/JHC.S473617","DOIUrl":"10.2147/JHC.S473617","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To observe and assess the efficacy and safety of donafenib combined with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) to treat unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).</p><p><strong>Patients and methods: </strong>This prospective, single-arm, single-center, phase II clinical study enrolled 36 patients with initial unresectable HCC who had not undergone any systemic treatment. The patients received donafenib plus TACE (n = 26) or donafenib plus TACE plus programmed death receptor 1 inhibitors (n = 10). The primary endpoint was short-term efficacy, with secondary endpoints including progression-free survival (PFS), time to response (TTR), disease control rate (DCR), and adverse events. The tumor feeding artery diameter was also measured.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Efficacy evaluation of all 36 patients revealed 6 cases of complete response, 19 of partial response, 8 of stable disease, and 3 of progressive disease. Six (16.7%) patients successfully underwent conversion surgery, all achieving R0 resection, and 2 (5.6%) achieved a complete pathological response. The objective response rate (ORR) was 69.4% and the DCR was 91.7%. The median PFS was 10.7 months, the median overall survival was not reached, and the median TTR was 1.4 months. The median survival rates at 6, 12, and 18 months were 85.0%, 77.6%, and 71.3%, respectively. The median PFS rates at 6, 12, and 18 months were 65.3%, 45.6%, and 34.2%, respectively. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in all 25 subjects, including 4 (11.3%) grade 3 TRAEs. No grade 4 or 5 TRAEs occurred. The tumor feeding artery diameter was significantly decreased following treatment (P = 0.036). Multivariable analysis revealed the sum of baseline target lesion diameters, best tumor response, and combined immunotherapy as independent predictors of PFS.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>TACE plus donafenib reduced the tumor feeding artery diameter in patients with unresectable HCC. The safety profile was good, and a high ORR was achieved.</p>","PeriodicalId":15906,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hepatocellular Carcinoma","volume":"11 ","pages":"1207-1219"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11214825/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141468569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Influence of Visceral Adiposity on Overall Survival: Exploring \"Obesity Paradox\" Among Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Who Receiving Immunotherapy.","authors":"Yanzhao Zhou, Jingzhong Ouyang, Hongcai Yang, Zhengzheng Wang, Yi Yang, Qingjun Li, Haitao Zhao, Jinxue Zhou, Qiang Li","doi":"10.2147/JHC.S453262","DOIUrl":"10.2147/JHC.S453262","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The impact of visceral adiposity on overall survival (OS) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving immunotherapy was unclear. We aimed to determine how visceral adiposity affected OS and explore the interrelationships between visceral adiposity, body mass index (BMI), and other body compositions.</p><p><strong>Patients and methods: </strong>Data from three centers were retrospectively analyzed. Skeletal muscle index (SMI), skeletal muscle density (SMD), visceral adipose tissue index (VATI), and subcutaneous adipose tissue index (SATI) were used to define each body composition. The BMI subgroups included the underweight, the normal weight, and the obesity. The Log rank test compared survival curves calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The relationships between body compositions and BMI with OS were examined using Cox proportional risk regression models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 305 patients who met the criteria were included. Patients with low VATI had significantly worse OS (<i>P</i> = 0.001). The protections of VATI (<i>P</i> = 0.011) on OS were independent of covariates. However, after additional adjustment of SMI, the effect of VATI on OS disappeared (<i>P</i> = 0.146), but the effect of SMD on OS did not (<i>P</i> = 0.021). BMI has a significant U-shaped relationship with OS, and the effect of BMI on OS equally disappeared after additional adjustment by SMI.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study first demonstrated that high VATI and mid-level BMI were protective for the survival of patients with HCC receiving immunotherapy. Skeletal muscle status (including SMI and SMD) may be the better predictor for outcomes of patients with HCC receiving immunotherapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":15906,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hepatocellular Carcinoma","volume":"11 ","pages":"1193-1206"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11212812/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141468570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Radiomics-Based Prediction of Microvascular Invasion Grade in Nodular Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging.","authors":"Zhao Zhang, Xiu-Fen Jia, Xiao-Yu Chen, Yong-Hua Chen, Ke-Hua Pan","doi":"10.2147/JHC.S461420","DOIUrl":"10.2147/JHC.S461420","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of this study is to develop and verify a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based radiomics model for predicting the microvascular invasion grade (MVI) before surgery in individuals diagnosed with nodular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 198 patients were included in the study and were randomly stratified into two groups: a training group consisting of 139 patients and a test group comprising 59 patients. The tumor lesion was manually segmented on the largest cross-sectional slice using ITK SNAP, with agreement reached between two radiologists. The selection of radiomics features was carried out using the LASSO (Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator) algorithm. Radiomics models were then developed through maximum correlation, minimum redundancy, and logistic regression analyses. The performance of the models in predicting MVI grade was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and metrics derived from the confusion matrix.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were no notable statistical differences in sex, age, BMI (body mass index), tumor size, and location between the training and test groups. The AP and PP radiomic model constructed for predicting MVI grade demonstrated an AUC of 0.83 (0.75-0.88) and 0.73 (0.64-0.80) in the training group and an AUC of 0.74 (0.61-0.85) and 0.62 (0.48-0.74) in test group, respectively. The combined model consists of imaging data and clinical data (age and AFP), achieved an AUC of 0.85 (0.78-0.91) and 0.77 (0.64-0.87) in the training and test groups, respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A radiomics model utilizing-contrast-enhanced MRI demonstrates strong predictive capability for differentiating MVI grades in individuals with nodular HCC. This model could potentially function as a dependable and resilient tool to support hepatologists and radiologists in their preoperative decision-making processes.</p>","PeriodicalId":15906,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hepatocellular Carcinoma","volume":"11 ","pages":"1185-1192"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11199320/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141457366","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}