The Role of Antiviral Therapy for HBV-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Effects of Antiviral Therapy on HBV Reactivation and Survival in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Undergoing Hepatic Artery Infusion Chemotherapy

Background

This study aimed to investigate the influence of hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) on hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as well as evaluate the role of antiviral prophylaxis in these patients.

Methods

We enrolled 170 HBsAg-positive advanced HCC patients receiving HAIC using mFOLFOX regimen, of which 137 patients received antiviral prophylaxis. Risk factors for HBV reactivation were analyzed. The overall survival (OS) from the first application of HAIC were compared between antiviral and non-antiviral groups.

Results

A total of 25 patients (14.7%) developed HBV reactivation after HAIC, of which 16 patients received antiviral treatment and nine patients did not. The incidence of HBV reactivation was 11.7% (16/137) in antiviral group and 27.3% (9/33) in non-antiviral group respectively. No antiviral prophylactic was the only significant risk factor for HBV reactivation (OR=12.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.35–33.33, p<0.001). Patients in antiviral group received more cycles of HAIC compared with non-antiviral group (3.11 ± 1.69 vs 1.75 ± 1.18, p<0.05) at the time of HBV reactivated. Seven of the 25 HBV reactivation patients developed hepatitis. OS in antiviral group was significantly longer than that of non-antiviral group (median 16.46 vs 10.68 months; HR=0.57; 95% CI, 0.36–0.91; p<0.05).

Conclusions

HBV reactivation is more prone to occur in the HBsAg-positive HCC patients undergoing HAIC without antiviral prophylaxis. Regular monitoring of HBV DNA and antiviral prophylaxis are suggested to prevent HBV reactivation as well as prolong the OS of these patients.

Name of the Trial Register

HAIC Using Oxaliplatin Plus Fluorouracil/Leucovorin for Patients with Locally Advanced HCC.

Clinical Trial Registration

https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier NCT 02436044

Hepatitis B virus infection and active replication promote the formation of vascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

Vascular invasion, including microvascular invasion (MVI) and portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT), is associated with the postoperative recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to investigate the potential impact of hepatitis B virus (HBV) activity on the development of vascular invasion.

Methods

Patients with HBV and tumor-related factors of HCC who had undergone hepatectomy were retrospectively enrolled and analyzed to identify the risk factors for developing vascular invasion.

Results

A total of 486 patients were included in this study. The overall proportion of patients with vascular invasion, including MVI and PVTT, was 60.3% (293/486). The incidence of MVI was 58.2% (283/486) whereas PVTT was 22.2% (108/486). Univariate analysis revealed that positive Hepatitis B virus surface Antigen (HBsAg) was significantly associated with the presence of vascular invasion. In a multivariate regression analysis carried out in patients with HBV-related HCC, positive Hepatitis B virus e Antigen (HBeAg)(OR = 1.83, P = 0.019) and a detectable seral HBV DNA load (OR = 1.68, P = 0.027) were independent risk factors of vascular invasion. The patients in the severe MVI group had a significantly higher rate of positive seral HBsAg (P = 0.005), positive seral HBeAg (P = 0.016), a detectable seral HBV DNA load (> 50 IU/ml) (P < 0.001) and a lower rate of anti-viral treatment (P = 0.002) compared with those in the mild MVI group and MVI-negative group. Whereas, HCC with PVTT invading the main trunk showed a significantly higher rate of positive HBsAg (P = 0.007), positive HBeAg (P = 0.04), cirrhosis (P = 0.005) and a lower rate of receiving antiviral treatment (P = 0.009) compared with patients with no PVTT or PVTT invading the ipsilateral portal vein. Patients with vascular invasion also had a significantly higher level of seral HBV DNA load than patients without vascular invasion (P = 0.008).

Conclusions

In HCC patients, HBV infection and active HBV replication were associated with the development of vascular invasion.

Risk factors for early mortality after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Despite advances in surgical technique and medical care, liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a high-risk major operation. The present study evaluated the risk factors for early mortality after hepatectomy.We retrospectively reviewed records of patients undergoing liver resection for HCC between 1983 and 2015. A point score (Risk Assessment for early Mortality (RAM) score) for hepatectomy was developed based on multivariate analyses.Three hundred eighty-three patients (11.3%) expired within 6 months after the operation. Logistic regression analyses identified that operative duration >270 minutes and blood loss >800 cc were significant predictors of major surgical complications (P = 0.013 and 0.002, respectively). On the other hand, diabetes mellitus, albumin ≤3.5 g/dL, α-fetoprotein (AFP) >200 ng/mL, major surgical procedure, blood loss >800 cc, and major surgical complications were independent risk factors for early mortality after hepatectomy (P = 0.019, <0.001, <0.001, 0.006, 0.018, and <0.001, respectively). Risk Assessment for early Mortality score (RAM score) identified 3 subgroups of patients with distinct 6-month mortality rate, with Class III (score 10) having highest risk of early mortality.Our study demonstrated that meticulous surgical techniques to minimize blood loss and avoid prolonged operative time may help decrease the occurrence of major surgical complications. In addition to major surgical complications, diabetes mellitus, hypoalbuminemia, high AFP, massive blood loss, and major surgical procedure are also associated with early mortality after liver resection. Further study is warranted to validate the utility of RAM score as a bedside scoring system to predict postoperative outcome.

Intrahepatic distribution of hepatitis B virus antigens in patients with and without hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To study the intrahepatic expression of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) in chronic hepatitis B patients with and without hepatocellular carcinoma.

METHODS: A total of 33 chronic hepatitis B patients (mean age of 40.3 ± 2.5 years), comprising of 14 HBeAg positive and 19 HBeAg negative patients; and 13 patients with hepatitis B virus related hepatocellular carcinoma (mean age of 49.6 ± 4.7 years), were included in our study. Immunohistochemical staining for HBcAg and HBsAg was done using standard streptavidin-biotin-immunoperoxidase technique on paraffin-embedded liver biopsies. The HBcAg and HBsAg staining distributions and patterns were described according to a modified classification system.

RESULTS: Compared to the HBeAg negative patients, the HBeAg positive patients were younger, had higher mean HBV DNA and alanine transaminases levels. All the HBeAg positive patients had intrahepatic HBcAg staining; predominantly with “diffuse” distribution (79%) and “mixed cytoplasmic/nuclear” pattern (79%). In comparison, only 5% of the HBeAg-negative patients had intrahepatic HBcAg staining. However, the intrahepatic HBsAg staining has wider distribution among the HBeAg negative patients, namely; majority of the HBeAg negative cases had “patchy” HBsAg distribution compared to “rare” distribution among the HBeAg positive cases. All but one patient with HCC were HBeAg negative with either undetectable HBV DNA or very low level of viremia. Intrahepatic HBcAg and HBsAg were seen in 13 (100%) and 10 (77%) of the HCC patients respectively. Interestingly, among the 9 HCC patients on anti-viral therapy with suppressed HBV DNA, HBcAg and HBsAg were detected in tumor tissues but not the adjacent liver in 4 (44%) and 1 (11%) patient respectively.

CONCLUSION: Isolated intrahepatic HBcAg and HBsAg can be present in tumors of patients with suppressed HBV DNA on antiviral therapy; that may predispose them to cancer development.

The progress and prospects of routine prophylactic antiviral treatment in hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Liver cancer is a common cancer and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Among all types of primary liver cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the major histological subtype, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the leading cause of HCC. Treatments for hepatitis B related HCC include hepatectomy, liver transplantation, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), ablative therapy, and Sorafenib treatment. However, HBV reactivation can occur in patients who receive these treatments, resulting in poor clinical outcomes. However, prophylactic antiviral treatment in patients with hepatitis B-related HCC, can reduce the copies of HBV DNA, prevent HBV reactivation, reduce hepatic inflammation, reverse liver fibrosis, decrease tumor recurrence and metastasis, and extend survival time. Prophylactic antiviral treatment should be routinely performed as an important adjuvant therapy in HBV-related HCC patients.

Perspective of laparoscopic liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma

Liver resection (LR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) is associated with high risks of developing significant postoperative complications and multicentric metachronous lesions, which can result in the need for repeated treatments. Studies comparing laparoscopic procedures to open LR consistently report reduced blood loss and transfusions requirements, lower postoperative morbidity, and shorter hospital stays, with no differences in oncologic outcomes. In addition, laparoscopic LR is associated with reduced postoperative ascites and a lower incidence of liver failure for HCC patients with CLD, due to the reduced surgery-induced parenchymal injury to the residual liver and limited destruction of the collateral blood/lymphatic flow around the liver. Finally, this procedure facilitates subsequent repeat LR due to minimal adhesion formation and improved vision/manipulation between adhesions. These characteristics of laparoscopic LR may lead to an expansion of the indications for LR. This editorial is based on the review and meta-analysis presented at the 2^nd International Consensus Conference on Laparoscopic Liver Resection in Iwate, Japan, in October 2014 (Chairperson of the congress is Professor Go Wakabayashi from the Department of Surgery, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine), which is published in the Journal of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Sciences.

Hepatitis B viral load affects prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a complex disease that is dually challenging to treat due to underlying chronic liver disease in addition to the cancer itself. The prognosis of patients with HCC is determined by intrahepatic tumor status and reserved hepatic function. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an established major risk factor of HCC development, and HBV viral load is being increasingly recognized as a prognostic factor in the presence of established HCC. High HBV viral load may affect the prognosis of HBV-related HCC patients in several ways. First, it is associated with more frequent recurrence of HBV-related HCC after treatment. Second, it is associated with more occurrence and severity of potentially life-threatening HBV reactivation. Last, it is associated with more worsened liver function, which limits the therapeutic options for HBV-related HCC. HBV, directly or indirectly, can induce hepatocarcinogenesis. In patients with a high HBV DNA level and subsequent active hepatitis, adhesion molecules expressed on the sinusoidal cells are up-regulated and may increase intrahepatic metastasis. HCC progression after treatment can lead to a poor prognosis by reducing number of normal functioning hepatocytes. Thus, high HBV viral load can affect the prognosis of patients with HCC by frequent recurrence after treatment for HCC and deterioration of hepatic function associated with HCC progression. Recent meta-analysis showed that antiviral treatment reduces HCC recurrence and liver-related mortality after curative therapy of HCC. Given the strong relationship between high HBV DNA load and poor survival outcome of HCC patients due to cancer progression, it is expected that long-term antiviral therapy results in the sustained HBV suppression, control of inflammation, reduction in HCC progression, and eventually in improved overall survival.