Jeng LB, Li TC, Wang J, Teng CF. Increased plasma levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in patients with hepatitis B virus pre-S2 gene deletion mutation predict a higher risk of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after curative surgical resection.
Cancer 2023;
129:2621-2636. [PMID:
37096803 DOI:
10.1002/cncr.34815]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Despite resection surgery as a curative therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the high rate of postoperative HCC recurrence remains a big challenge for patient survival. Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most important risk factor for HCC. Deletion mutation in the HBV pre-S2 gene leads to expression of an essential viral oncoprotein called pre-S2 mutant and represents an independent prognostic biomarker for HCC recurrence after curative surgical resection. Additionally, cytokines are multifunctional secreted proteins and implicated in all stages of HBV-related HCC tumorigenesis.
METHODS
This study aimed to identify the cytokines whose plasma levels were associated with pre-S2 gene deletion mutation and HCC recurrence and evaluate their potential to be combined with pre-S2 gene deletion mutation in predicting HCC recurrence.
RESULTS
Among a panel of 27 cytokines examined, plasma levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were significantly upregulated in patients with pre-S2 gene deletion mutation or HCC recurrence. MCP-1 was validated as an independent prognostic biomarker for HCC recurrence. Moreover, patients with both the presence of pre-S2 gene deletion mutation and high levels of MCP-1 displayed a higher risk of HCC recurrence than patients with either one or none of these two biomarkers. The combination of pre-S2 gene deletion mutation and MCP-1 levels exhibited a better prognostic performance for HCC recurrence than each biomarker alone.
CONCLUSIONS
This study discovered that MCP-1 levels had a significance to be as a combination biomarker with pre-S2 gene deletion mutation providing an improved performance in predicting HCC recurrence after curative surgical resection.
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