Outcome of Atezolizumab Plus Bevacizumab Combination Therapy in High-Risk Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Real-world data regarding treatment with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in high-risk patients with advanced HCC are lacking. In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, a total of 215 patients with advanced HCC received atezolizumab plus bevacizumab treatment at four tertiary hospitals. High-risk patients were those with grade Vp4 portal vein thrombus, bile duct invasion, or more than 50% liver infiltration. In total, 98 (45.6%) were the high-risk population, 186 (86.5%) were considered to be Child-Pugh class A, and 128 (59.5%) had previously received neoadjuvant or concomitant radiation treatment. Median overall survival (OS) was 11.25 months (95% CI, 9.50-13.10), and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 8.00 months (95% CI, 6.82-9.18). In the high-risk population, the median OS was 10 months (95% CI, 8.19-11.82) and the median PFS was 6.50 months (95% CI, 3.93-9.08). In the high-risk population, multivariate analysis indicated that radiation therapy and lower ALBI grade were associated with better OS and PFS. A total of 177 (82.3%) patients experienced adverse events of any grade, the most common being proteinuria (23.7%). Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab treatment showed consistent efficacy and tolerability in both the total and high-risk population. Radiation therapy combined with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab treatment might be helpful to improve PFS and OS in high-risk populations.

The Clinical Significance of Myosteatosis in Survival Outcomes in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Sorafenib

The role of body composition parameters in sorafenib-treated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients is still not fully elucidated. Here, we aimed to evaluate the impact of computed tomography (CT)-based body composition parameters on the survival of such patients. In this multicenter study, we analyzed the data of 245 sorafenib-treated HCC patients from January 2008 to December 2019. Sarcopenia, visceral obesity, and myosteatosis were defined by using cross-sectional CT images at the third lumbar vertebra level. The effects of these parameters on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were evaluated. The median age was 67.0 years (interquartile range: 61.0-78.0 year), and 211 patients (86.1%) were male. The median OS and PFS were 7.9 months and 4.8 months, respectively. Vascular invasion (hazard ratio (HR), 1.727; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.258-2.371; p = 0.001), extrahepatic metastasis (HR, 1.401; 95% CI, 1.028-1.908; p = 0.033), alpha-fetoprotein level > 200 ng/mL (HR, 1.559; 95% CI, 1.105-2.201; p = 0.012), and myosteatosis (HR, 1.814; 95% CI, 1.112-2.960; p = 0.017) were associated with OS. Patient mortality was significantly higher in the group with two or more risk factors than in the group with fewer risk factors. In conclusion, myosteatosis may be a novel prognostic CT-based radiological biomarker in sorafenib-treated HCC patients.

Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab versus active surveillance in patients with resected or ablated high-risk hepatocellular carcinoma (IMbrave050): a randomised, open-label, multicentre, phase 3 trial

BACKGROUND

No adjuvant treatment has been established for patients who remain at high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after curative-intent resection or ablation. We aimed to assess the efficacy of adjuvant atezolizumab plus bevacizumab versus active surveillance in patients with high-risk hepatocellular carcinoma.

METHODS

In the global, open-label, phase 3 IMbrave050 study, adult patients with high-risk surgically resected or ablated hepatocellular carcinoma were recruited from 134 hospitals and medical centres in 26 countries in four WHO regions (European region, region of the Americas, South-East Asia region, and Western Pacific region). Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio via an interactive voice-web response system using permuted blocks, using a block size of 4, to receive intravenous 1200 mg atezolizumab plus 15 mg/kg bevacizumab every 3 weeks for 17 cycles (12 months) or to active surveillance. The primary endpoint was recurrence-free survival by independent review facility assessment in the intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04102098.

FINDINGS

The intention-to-treat population included 668 patients randomly assigned between Dec 31, 2019, and Nov 25, 2021, to either atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (n=334) or to active surveillance (n=334). At the prespecified interim analysis (Oct 21, 2022), median duration of follow-up was 17·4 months (IQR 13·9-22·1). Adjuvant atezolizumab plus bevacizumab was associated with significantly improved recurrence-free survival (median, not evaluable [NE]; [95% CI 22·1-NE]) compared with active surveillance (median, NE [21·4-NE]; hazard ratio, 0·72 [adjusted 95% CI 0·53-0·98]; p=0·012). Grade 3 or 4 adverse events occurred in 136 (41%) of 332 patients who received atezolizumab plus bevacizumab and 44 (13%) of 330 patients in the active surveillance group. Grade 5 adverse events occurred in six patients (2%, two of which were treatment related) in the atezolizumab plus bevacizumab group, and one patient (<1%) in the active surveillance group. Both atezolizumab and bevacizumab were discontinued because of adverse events in 29 patients (9%) who received atezolizumab plus bevacizumab.

INTERPRETATION

Among patients at high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence following curative-intent resection or ablation, recurrence-free survival was improved in those who received atezolizumab plus bevacizumab versus active surveillance. To our knowledge, IMbrave050 is the first phase 3 study of adjuvant treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma to report positive results. However, longer follow-up for both recurrence-free and overall survival is needed to assess the benefit-risk profile more fully.

FUNDING

F Hoffmann-La Roche/Genentech.

Tissue Circular RNA_0004018 and 0003570 as Novel Prognostic Biomarkers for Hepatitis B-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma

The clinical significance of hsa_circ_0004018 and hsa_circ_0003570 in patients with hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC) is unclear. We aimed to explore the clinical significance and prognostic utility of these two circular RNAs (circRNAs) in patients with HBV-HCC. Based on 86 paired tissue samples of HCC and adjacent non-HCC, the relative expression profiles of hsa_circ_0004018 and hsa_circ_0003570 were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions. The cut-off values were the median expression of each of the two circRNAs in 86 patients with HBV-HCC. The combination group comprised patients with high levels of the two circRNAs. Clinicopathological features, body composition profiles at the L3 level, and survival rates were investigated. The expression of hsa_circ_0004018 and hsa_circ_0003570 was downregulated in HCC tissues compared with non-HCC tissues. High expression levels of hsa_circ_0003570 (hazard ratio (HR), 0.437; p = 0.009) and hsa_circ_0004018 (HR, 0.435; p = 0.005) were inversely independent risk factors for overall and progression-free survival in patients with HBV-HCC, whereas the combination group was also an inversely independent risk factor for overall (HR, 0.399; p = 0.005) and progression-free survival (HR, 0.422; p = 0.003) in patients with HBV-HCC. The combination of hsa_circ_0003570 and hsa_circ_0004018 may be a potential prognostic biomarker for HBV-HCC.

Abdominal CT Segmentation for Body Composition Assessment Using Network Consistency Learning

Estimating skeletal muscle (SM) and adipose tissues is an invaluable prognostic indicator in cancer treatment, major surgeries, and general health screening. Body composition is usually measured with abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans acquired in clinical settings. The whole-body SM volume is correlated with the estimated SM based on the measurement of a single two-dimensional vertebral slice. It is necessary to label a CT image at the pixel level to estimate SM, known as semantic segmentation. In this work, we trained a segmentation model using the labeled abdominal CT slices and the additional unlabeled slices. In particular, we trained two identical segmentation networks with differently initialized weights. Network Consistency Learning (NCL) allowed learning from unlabeled images by forcing the predictions from both networks to be the same. We segmented abdominal CT images from a newly created in-house dataset. The proposed approach gained 10% better performance in terms of Dice similarity score (DSC) than that obtained by a standard supervised network demonstrating the effectiveness of NCL in exploiting unlabeled images.Clinical relevance- An efficient and cost-effective method is proposed for assessing body composition from limited labeled and abundant unlabeled CT images to facilitate fast diagnosis, prognosis, and interventions.

Efficacy and safety of sofosbuvir-velpatasvir and sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir for hepatitis C in Korea: a Phase 3b study

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Despite the availability of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Korea, need remains for pangenotypic regimens that can be used in the presence of hepatic impairment, comorbidities, or prior treatment failure. We investigated the efficacy and safety of sofosbuvir-velpatasvir and sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir for 12 weeks in HCV-infected Korean adults.

METHODS

This Phase 3b, multicenter, open-label study included 2 cohorts. In Cohort 1, participants with HCV genotype 1 or 2 and who were treatment-naive or treatment-experienced with interferon-based treatments, received sofosbuvir-velpatasvir 400/100 mg/day. In Cohort 2, HCV genotype 1 infected individuals who previously received an NS5A inhibitor-containing regimen ≥ 4 weeks received sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir 400/100/100 mg/day. Decompensated cirrhosis was an exclusion criterion. The primary endpoint was SVR12, defined as HCV RNA < 15 IU/mL 12 weeks following treatment.

RESULTS

Of 53 participants receiving sofosbuvir-velpatasvir, 52 (98.1%) achieved SVR12. The single participant who did not achieve SVR12 experienced an asymptomatic Grade 3 ASL/ALT elevation on day 15 and discontinued treatment. The event resolved without intervention. All 33 participants (100%) treated with sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir achieved SVR 12. Overall, sofosbuvir-velpatasvir and sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir were safe and well tolerated. Three participants (5.6%) in Cohort 1 and 1 participant (3.0%) in Cohort 2 had serious adverse events, but none were considered treatment-related. No deaths or grade 4 laboratory abnormalities were reported.

CONCLUSION

Treatment with sofosbuvir-velpatasvir or sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir was safe and resulted in high SVR12 rates in Korean HCV patients.

Cell Nuclei Segmentation With Dynamic Token-Based Attention Network

Cell nuclei segmentation is crucial for analyzing cell structure in different tasks, i.e., cell identification, classification, etc., to treat various diseases. Several convolutional neural network-based architectures have been proposed for segmenting cell nuclei. Although these methods show superior performance, they lack the ability to predict reliable masks when using biomedical image data. This paper proposes a novel Dynamic Token-based Attention Network (DTA-Net). Combining convolutional neural networks (CNN) with a vision transformer (ViT) allows us to capture detailed spatial information from images efficiently by encoding local and global features. Dynamic Token-based Attention (DTA) module calculates attention maps keeping the overall computational and training costs minimal. For the nuclei segmentation task on the 2018 Science Bowl dataset, our proposed method outperformed SOTA networks with the highest Dice similarity score (DSC) of 93.02% and Intersection over Union (IoU) of 87.91% without using image pre- or post-processing techniques. The results showed that high-quality segmentation masks could be obtained by configuring a ViT in the most straight forward manner.Clinical relevance- In this work, the segmentation of cell nuclei in microscopy images is carried out automatically, irrespective of their appearance, density, magnification, illumination, and modality.

Impact of metabolic factors on risk of cardiovascular disease in nondiabetic metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Changing terminology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is recently proposed by expert panels based on metabolic dysregulations. However, clinical evidences for the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in MAFLD are limited. The aim of this study is evaluating the association of cardiovascular risk in these two terminology and subgroups of MAFLD.

METHODS

A total of 2133 individuals who underwent ultrasound and cardiac computed tomography contemporaneously were included at a single medical checkup center. Ultrasound was used to define fatty liver, and coronary artery calcification (CAC) defined a coronary artery calcium score above 0 was used to estimate the cardiovascular risk.

RESULTS

Overall, 911 participants were diagnosed with fatty liver. In the unadjusted analysis, NAFLD (OR = 1.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05-1.85, p = 0.019) and MAFLD (OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.29-1.86, p = 0.046) were significantly associated with CAC. However, in sex and age-adjusted analyses, only MAFLD was associated with CAC (adjusted OR [aOR] = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.14-1.69, p = 0.001). Of the three subgroups of MAFLD (diabetic, nondiabetic overweight/obese, and nondiabetic normal weight/lean with at least two metabolic abnormalities), only diabetic MAFLD was associated with CAC (aOR = 2.65, 95% CI = 1.98-3.55, p < 0.001). When the minimal number of metabolic risk abnormalities increased to three, nondiabetic normal-weight/lean MAFLD was associated with CAC (aOR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.02-1.77, p = 0.034).

CONCLUSION

Diabetic MAFLD predicted high-risk CVD phenotypes the best. Metabolic risk abnormalities in nondiabetic MAFLD patients were independently associated with the risk of CVD. The proposed diagnostic criteria for nondiabetic MAFLD need further investigation in terms of CVD risk.

Performance of Noninvasive Tests of Fibrosis Among Asians, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic Whites in the STELLAR Trials

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The effect of race on routinely available noninvasive tests of fibrosis is incompletely understood. This study evaluated the performance of noninvasive tests among white and Asian patients in the STELLAR trials (NCT03053050 and NCT03053063), which evaluated selonsertib in patients with advanced (F3-F4) fibrosis due to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

METHODS

Baseline liver biopsies were centrally read using the NASH Clinical Research Network system, and 4 noninvasive tests (Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score [NFS], Fibrosis-4 index [FIB-4], Enhanced Liver Fibrosis test [ELF], and liver stiffness by vibration-controlled transient elastography) were measured. The performance of these tests to discriminate advanced fibrosis was evaluated using areas under the receiver operating characteristics curves with 5-fold cross-validation repeated 100 times.

RESULTS

Among 3207 patients screened with evaluable liver histology, 2281 were whites and 762 were Asians. Seventy-two percent of whites and 67% of Asians had advanced fibrosis. The areas under the receiver operating characteristics curves of the noninvasive tests for advanced fibrosis were similar in whites and Asians: 0.73 and 0.75 for NFS, 0.78 and 0.80 for FIB-4, 0.79 and 0.81 for ELF, and 0.80 and 0.83 for liver stiffness, respectively. At the published cutoffs, the tests had similar sensitivities and specificities in the 2 groups. However, the sensitivities of NFS, FIB-4, and ELF were low in both white and Asian patients younger than 40 years.

CONCLUSIONS

In the global phase III STELLAR trials, the diagnostic performance of routinely available noninvasive tests for the detection of advanced fibrosis due to NASH was acceptable and similar between white and Asian patients.

ALT Is Not Associated With Achieving Subcirrhotic Liver Stiffness and HCC During Entecavir Therapy in HBV-Related Cirrhosis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

We investigated whether baseline and on-treatment alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels during entecavir (ETV) therapy are associated with achieving subcirrhotic liver stiffness (LS) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related cirrhosis.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 347 treatment-naïve patients with HBV-related cirrhosis, who started ETV between 2006 and 2011 and were followed up for >5 years without developing HCC. The study outcomes were achieving subcirrhotic LS at 5 years of ETV, and risk of HCC development beyond 5 years of ETV. Subcirrhotic LS was defined as <12 kPa by transient elastography.

RESULTS

After 5 years of ETV, 227 (65.4%) patients achieved subcirrhotic LS. During a median follow-up of 9.2 years, 49 (14.1%) patients developed HCC beyond 5 years of ETV. ALT levels at baseline, at 1 year of ETV therapy, and 5 years of ETV therapy were not associated with the probability of achieving subcirrhotic LS at 5 years of ETV therapy or risk of HCC development beyond 5 years of ETV therapy (all P > .05). Patients achieving subcirrhotic LS at 5 years of ETV therapy had significantly lower risk of HCC development than those who did not (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.33; 95% confidence interval, 0.17-0.64; P = .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Baseline and on-treatment ALT levels were not associated with achieving subcirrhotic LS at 5 years of ETV therapy or with risk of HCC development beyond 5 years of ETV therapy in patients with HBV-related cirrhosis. Achieving subcirrhotic LS at 5 years of ETV therapy was independently associated with lower risk of HCC development beyond 5 years of ETV therapy.

Effect of switching from nucleos(t)ide maintenance therapy to PegIFN alfa-2a in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B: A randomized trial

Aims

Induction of a durable viral response is difficult to achieve in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), even from long-term use of a nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA). This study investigated whether switching to peginterferon (PegIFN) alfa-2a after long-term NA therapy induced a durable viral response.

Methods

Patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive CHB who received any NA for at least 72 weeks and had a low level of HBV DNA (≤100 IU/mL) were randomized (1:1) to receive PegIFN alfa-2a (180 μg/week) or NA for 48 weeks. The primary endpoint was change in the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) titer during antiviral therapy.

Results

We randomized 149 CHB patients to the two groups. Compared to baseline, the HBsAg levels in both groups were not lower at week 12, but were lower after 24, 36, and 48 weeks (all p<0.001). The maximal HBsAg decline in the PegIFN alfa-2a group was at week 36 (0.50±0.88 log₁₀ IU/mL), and this decline was smaller in the NA group (0.08±0.46 log₁₀ IU/mL). The percentage of patients with HBeAg seroconversion at week 48 was also greater in the PegIFN alfa-2a group (15/75 [20.0%] vs. 5/74 [6.8%], p = 0.018). Multivariable analysis indicated the PegIFN alfa-2a group had a greater change in HBeAg seroconversion at week 48 (p = 0.027). Patients had relatively good tolerance to PegIFN alfa-2a therapy.

Conclusions

CHB patients who switched to PegIFN alfa-2a for 48 weeks had a significantly lower HBsAg titer and increased HBeAg seroconversion relative to those who remained on NA therapy.

Trial registration

(ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT01769833).

A Case of Hepatic Immunoglobulin G4-Related Disease Presenting as an Inflammatory Pseudotumor and Sclerosing Cholangitis

An inflammatory pseudotumor is a benign disease characterized by tumor-like lesions consisting of inflammatory cells including plasma cells and fibrous tissue. Recently, some inflammatory pseudotumor cases proved to be a form of Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD). This novel clinical entity, recognized as a fibroinflammatory condition, is characterized by lymphoplasmacytic infiltration with a predominance of IgG4-positive plasma cells, storiform fibrosis, and often elevated serum IgG4 concentrations. We report a case of IgG4-RD in the form of an inflammatory pseudotumor in the liver with combined sclerosing cholangitis. We recommend that for diagnosing IgG4-RD accurately, it is important to obtain adequate tissue samples and follow-up the lesion in clinical practice.

Safety and efficacy of durvalumab plus bevacizumab in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: Results from the phase 2 study 22 (NCT02519348)

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Background: The phase 2 Study 22 trial (NCT02519348) investigated durvalumab (anti-programmed cell death ligand-1 [PD-L1] antibody) and tremelimumab (anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated antigen 4 antibody) as monotherapy, or durvalumab in combination with tremelimumab or bevacizumab (anti-vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] antibody), for the treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). Results of Study 22 that evaluated durvalumab and tremelimumab as monotherapy or in combination were reported previously. PD-L1 inhibition plus VEGF inhibition with bevacizumab may exhibit an additive effect to improve clinical activity. Herein, we report results from a single-arm cohort of Study 22, evaluating durvalumab plus bevacizumab as first-line treatment in patients with uHCC. Methods: Patients with uHCC who had not received any prior systemic therapy were administered durvalumab 1120 mg plus bevacizumab 15 mg/kg once every 3 weeks. Adequate endoscopic therapy according to institutional standards was required for patients with a history of gastrointestinal bleeding for >12 months or those at high risk for esophageal varices. The primary endpoint was safety. Secondary endpoints included confirmed objective response rate (ORR; assessed by blinded independent central review [BICR] according to RECIST v1.1), duration of response (DoR; RECIST v1.1 by BICR) and overall survival (OS). Results: At the data cut-off (November 6, 2020), 47 patients were allocated to receive treatment. Median total treatment duration was 6.2 months (durvalumab) and 4.1 months (bevacizumab). Thirty-three (70.2%) patients experienced an adverse event possibly related to treatment (TRAE). Grade 3 or 4 TRAEs occurred in 4 (8.5%) patients; serious TRAEs occurred in 5 (10.6%) patients, including gastric ulcer perforation, ascites, and liver tumor rupture, possibly related to bevacizumab, and raised creatinine and pneumonitis, possibly related to durvalumab. There were 3 (6.4%) discontinuations and no deaths associated with TRAEs. Objective responses (RECIST 1.1 by BICR) were confirmed in 10 patients (ORR, 21.3%; 95% CI, 10.7–35.7); median DoR (RECIST 1.1 by BICR) was not reached. Median OS was not reached (95% CI, 12.52 months–non-estimable). Conclusions: Durvalumab plus bevacizumab was well tolerated and showed promising clinical activity in patients with uHCC. Durvalumab with or without bevacizumab in combination with transarterial chemoembolization is being investigated as locoregional therapy in patients with HCC not amenable to curative treatment in the phase 3 EMERALD-1 study (NCT03778957), and durvalumab with or without bevacizumab is being investigated in patients with HCC at high risk of recurrence after curative treatment in the phase 3 EMERALD-2 study (NCT03847428). Clinical trial information: NCT02519348.

Long-term effects of entecavir and tenofovir treatment on the fibrotic burden in patients with chronic hepatitis B

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Antiviral therapy (AVT) induces fibrosis regression in patients with chronic hepatitis B. We investigated long-term effects of entecavir (ETV) versus tenofovir (TDF) on fibrotic burden.

METHODS

Treatment-naïve chronic hepatitis B patients who had begun ETV or TDF were recruited from four tertiary hospitals. The aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and fibrosis index based on four factors (FIB-4) were used to determine fibrotic burden.

RESULTS

In the entire population (n = 3277), although patients treated with ETV had higher baseline APRI (1.71 vs 1.07, P < 0.001) and FIB-4 (3.60 vs 2.80, P < 0.001) than those treated with TDF, significant fibrosis regression was identified during 6 years of AVT in both ETV (APRI, mean 1.71 → 0.48, P < 0.001; FIB-4, mean 3.60 → 2.21, P < 0.001) and TDF groups (APRI, mean 1.07 → 0.43, P < 0.001; FIB-4, mean 2.80 → 2.19, P < 0.001). In patients without cirrhosis (n = 2366), baseline APRI was significantly higher in ETV group than in TDF group (1.72 vs 0.97, P < 0.001); however, they became similar after 6 months. Similarly, baseline FIB-4 was significantly higher in ETV group than in TDF group (3.25 vs 2.35, P < 0.001), but became similar from 4 to 6 years. In patients with cirrhosis (n = 911), baseline APRI (1.70 vs 1.34, P < 0.001) and FIB-4 (4.62 vs 3.91, P = 0.005) were higher in ETV group than in TDF, however, both parameters became statistically similar from 6 months to 6 years.

CONCLUSION

Significant regression of APRI and FIB-4 was observed during long-term ETV and TDF treatment. Despite higher baseline fibrotic burden in ETV group, fibrotic burden between the groups eventually converged through significant fibrosis regression after 1 to 4 years of AVT.

Efficient knowledge distillation for liver CT segmentation using growing assistant network

Segmentation has been widely used in diagnosis, lesion detection, and surgery planning. Although deep learning (DL)-based segmentation methods currently outperform traditional methods, most DL-based segmentation models are computationally expensive and memory inefficient, which are not suitable for the intervention of liver surgery. To address this issue, a simple solution is to make a segmentation model very small for the fast inference time, however, there is a trade-off between the model size and performance. In this paper, we propose a DL-based real-time 3-D liver CT segmentation method, where knowledge distillation (KD) method, known as knowledge transfer from teacher to student models, is incorporated to compress the model while preserving the performance. Because it is well known that the knowledge transfer is inefficient when the disparity of teacher and student model sizes is large, we propose a growing teacher assistant network (GTAN) to gradually learn the knowledge without extra computational cost, which can efficiently transfer knowledge even with the large gap of teacher and student model sizes. In our results, dice similarity coefficient of the student model with KD improved 1.2% (85.9% to 87.1%) compared to the student model without KD, which is a similar performance of the teacher model using only 8% (100k) parameters. Furthermore, with a student model of 2% (30k) parameters, the proposed model using the GTAN improved the dice coefficient about 2% compared to the student model without KD, and the inference time is 13 ms per a 3-D image. Therefore, the proposed method has a great potential for intervention in liver surgery as well as in many real-time applications.

Federated learning for predicting clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19

Federated learning (FL) is a method used for training artificial intelligence models with data from multiple sources while maintaining data anonymity, thus removing many barriers to data sharing. Here we used data from 20 institutes across the globe to train a FL model, called EXAM (electronic medical record (EMR) chest X-ray AI model), that predicts the future oxygen requirements of symptomatic patients with COVID-19 using inputs of vital signs, laboratory data and chest X-rays. EXAM achieved an average area under the curve (AUC) >0.92 for predicting outcomes at 24 and 72 h from the time of initial presentation to the emergency room, and it provided 16% improvement in average AUC measured across all participating sites and an average increase in generalizability of 38% when compared with models trained at a single site using that site's data. For prediction of mechanical ventilation treatment or death at 24 h at the largest independent test site, EXAM achieved a sensitivity of 0.950 and specificity of 0.882. In this study, FL facilitated rapid data science collaboration without data exchange and generated a model that generalized across heterogeneous, unharmonized datasets for prediction of clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19, setting the stage for the broader use of FL in healthcare.

Diagnostic Efficacy of Serum Mac-2 Binding Protein Glycosylation Isomer and Other Markers for Liver Fibrosis in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases

Background

Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) has been established as a non-invasive biomarker for liver fibrosis. We evaluated the diagnostic efficacy of M2BPGi compared with those of other liver fibrosis markers in liver fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methods

We analyzed serum M2BPGi levels in 113 NAFLD patients. A pathologist graded liver fibrosis histopathologically. The diagnostic efficacies of serum M2BPGi and other liver fibrosis markers (aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index, fibrosis index based on four factors, and NAFLD fibrosis score [NFS]) were evaluated using correlation, area under the ROC curve (AUC), logistic regression, and C-statistics.

Results

Serum M2BPGi level and other liver fibrosis markers showed a moderate correlation with fibrosis grade. The AUC values of M2BPGi were 0.761, 0.819, 0.866, and 0.900 for diagnosing fibrosis (F)>0, F>1, F>2, and F>3, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed M2BPGi as the only independent factor associated with F>2 and F>3. Although C-statistics showed that NFS was the best diagnostic factor for F>2 and F>3, M2BPGi with NFS had an increased C-statistics value, indicating that it is a better diagnostic model.

Conclusions

The serum M2BPGi level increased with liver fibrosis severity and could be a good biomarker for diagnosing advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis in NAFLD patients. A well-controlled, prospective study with a larger sample size is needed to validate the diagnostic power of M2BPGi and other fibrosis markers in NAFLD.

Multicenter Analysis of Clinical Features and Prognosis of COVID-19 Patients with Hepatic Impairment

Background/Aims

Recent data indicate the presence of liver enzyme abnormalities in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to evaluate the clinical features and treatment outcomes of COVID-19 patients with abnormal liver enzymes.

Methods

We performed a retrospective, multicenter study of 874 COVID-19 patients admitted to five tertiary hospitals from February 20 to April 14, 2020. Data on clinical features, laboratory parameters, medications, and treatment outcomes were collected until April 30, 2020, and compared between patients with normal and abnormal aminotransferases.

Results

Abnormal aminotransferase levels were observed in 362 patients (41.1%), of which 94 out of 130 (72.3%) and 268 out of 744 (36.0%) belonged to the severe and non-severe COVID- 19 categories, respectively. The odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for male patients, patients with a higher body mass index, patients with severe COVID-19 status, and patients with lower platelet counts were 1.500 (1.029 to 2.184, p=0.035), 1.097 (1.012 to 1.189, p=0.024), 2.377 (1.458 to 3.875, p=0.001), and 0.995 (0.993 to 0.998, p>0.001), respectively, indicating an independent association of these variables with elevated aminotransferase levels. Lopinavir/ ritonavir and antibiotic use increased the odds ratio of abnormal aminotransferase levels after admission (1.832 and 2.646, respectively, both p<0.05). The median time to release from quarantine was longer (22 days vs 26 days, p=0.001) and the mortality rate was higher (13.0% vs 2.9%, p<0.001) in patients with abnormal aminotransferase levels.

Conclusions

Abnormal aminotransferase levels are common in COVID-19 patients and are associated with poor clinical outcomes. Multivariate analysis of patients with normal aminotransferase levels on admission showed that the use of lopinavir/ritonavir and antibiotics was associated with abnormal aminotransferase levels; thus, careful monitoring is needed.

Circular noncoding RNA hsa_circ_0005986 as a prognostic biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) represent potential biomarkers because of their highly stable structure and robust expression pattern in clinical samples. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of a recently identified circRNA, hsa_circ_0005986; determine its clinical significance; and evaluate its potential as a biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We evaluated hsa_circ_0005986 expression in 123 HCC tissue samples, its clinical significance, and its association with patients’ clinicopathological characteristics and survival. Hsa_circ_0005986 expression was downregulated in HCC tissues. Low hsa_circ_0005986 expression was more common in tumors larger than 5 cm [odds ratio (OR), 3.19; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.51–6.76; p = 0.002], advanced TNM stage (III/IV; OR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.16–4.95; p = 0.018), and higher BCLC stage (B/C; OR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.30–5.65; p = 0.007). High hsa_circ_0005986 expression was associated with improved survival and was an independent prognostic factor for overall [hazard ratio (HR), 0.572; 95% CI, 0.339–0.966; p = 0.037] and progression-free (HR, 0.573; 95% CI, 0.362–0.906; p = 0.017) survival. Moreover, the circRNA–miRNA–mRNA network was constructed using RNA-seq/miRNA-seq data and clinical information from TCGA-LIHC dataset. Our findings indicate a promising role for hsa_circ_0005986 as a prognostic biomarker in patients with HCC.

Direct-Acting Antivirals Improve Treatment Outcomes in Patients with Hepatitis C Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Transarterial Chemoembolization: A Nationwide, Multi-center, Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The influence of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) on chronic hepatitis C (CHC)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial. We investigated the effect of eradicating CHC using DAAs on treatment outcomes in patients with CHC-related HCC treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).

METHODS

This nationwide, multi-center, retrospective study recruited patients with CHC-related HCC treated with TACE as the first-line anti-cancer treatment, and who achieved a sustained virological response (SVR) using DAAs (DAA group) between 2006 and 2017. Patients achieving an SVR following interferon-based treatment (IFN group) and those without treatment (control group) were also recruited for comparison.

RESULTS

A total of 425 patients were eligible for the study. Of these, 356 (83.8%), 26 (6.1%), and 43 (10.1%) were allocated to the control, IFN, and DAA groups, respectively. A multivariate analysis showed that liver cirrhosis, segmental portal vein thrombosis, and larger maximal tumor size independently predicted an increased risk of progression (all p < 0.05), whereas, the DAA group (vs. IFN and control groups) independently predicted a reduced risk of progression (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.630, 95% confidence interval 0.411-0.966, p = 0.034). The cumulative incidence rate of HCC progression in the DAA group was significantly lower than that in the IFN and control groups (p = 0.033, log-rank test). In addition, the DAA group (vs. IFN and control groups) was independently associated with a reduced risk of mortality (p = 0.042).

CONCLUSIONS

DAA treatment provided significantly prolonged progression-free survival in patients with CHC-related HCC treated with TACE compared to that in patients administered IFN or no treatment.

The efficacies of entecavir and tenofovir in terms of enhancing prognosis after curative treatment of hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Whether entecavir (ETV) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) affords the better prognosis after curative treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. We compared recurrence and death rates between patients taking ETV and those taking TDF.

METHODS

Between 2013 and 2017, patients with HBV-related HCC who had undergone hepatic resection (n=421) or radiofrequency ablation (n=305) as first-line anti-HCC treatment in three institutes were consecutively enrolled. All patients received ETV or TDF as a first-line antiviral. The cumulative probabilities of recurrence and death were assessed. We adjusted for viral factors, including the HBV-DNA load, and tumor and demographic factors.

RESULTS

During the study period (median 46.6 [interquartile range 25.3-58.9] months), 227 patients experienced recurrence and 53 died. In the ETV (n=405) and TDF (n=321) groups, the annual incidences of recurrence (10.61 and 11.21 per 100 person-years, respectively; P=727) and death (2.28 and 1.79 per 100 person-years, respectively; P=277) were similar, with adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of 0.932 (P=0.622) and 0.667 (P=0.193), respectively. When stratified by treatment modality and the timing of antiviral therapy commencement, the values were similar (all P>0.05). Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analyses yielded results that were similar in the two groups in terms of recurrence (aHR=1.038, P=0.963) and death (aHR=0.799, P=0.431). Furthermore, the early (<2 years) and late (≥2 years) recurrence risks were not statistically different in the two groups (both P=0.400), as confirmed by IPTW analysis (P=0.502 and P=0.377, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The prognoses in terms of recurrence and death after curative treatment of HBV-related HCC were not statistically different between the ETV and TDF groups. Further validation studies are needed.

Diagnostic usefulness of the spot urine sodium/potassium ratio in cirrhotic patients with ascites

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The low-salt diet is considered important for control of ascites in cirrhotic patients. To validate whether the spot urine sodium (Na)/potassium (K) ratio could replace 24-h urine Na (uNa) excretion in assessing low-salt diet compliance.

METHODS

We prospectively studied 175 patients. 24-h urine collection and spot urine collection were performed. Subsequently, 24-h uNa, urine creatinine (uCr), and spot urine Na and K were assessed. A complete urine collection was confirmed based on 24-h uCr excretion levels of 15mg/kg/day for men and 10mg/kg/day for women. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the feasibility of spot urine Na/K ratio in predicting 24-h uNa greater than 78mmol/day.

RESULTS

Out of 175 patients, 24-h urine samples were completely collected in 57 patients only. Moreover, urine samples were not completely collected in 118 patients because their 24-h uCr excretion level was less than the established criteria. In complete urine collection group, AUROC curve for spot urine Na/K ratio in predicting 24-h uNa greater than 78mmol/day was 0.874±0.051 (P<0.001). In the incomplete urine collection group, the AUROC was 0.832±0.039 (P<0.001). In complete urine collection group, the classical cutoff value greater than 1.0 of spot urine Na/K ratio showed 90.9% sensitivity and 56.0% specificity.

CONCLUSIONS

The spot urine Na/K ratio reflects 24-h uNa, but the AUROC value obtained in this study is lower than that of a previous study. Considered the large number of patients with incomplete urine collection, validating 24-h complete urine collection criteria is necessary.

A multi-center study of COVID-19 patient prognosis using deep learning-based CT image analysis and electronic health records

PURPOSE

As of August 30th, there were in total 25.1 million confirmed cases and 845 thousand deaths caused by coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide. With overwhelming demands on medical resources, patient stratification based on their risks is essential. In this multi-center study, we built prognosis models to predict severity outcomes, combining patients' electronic health records (EHR), which included vital signs and laboratory data, with deep learning- and CT-based severity prediction.

METHOD

We first developed a CT segmentation network using datasets from multiple institutions worldwide. Two biomarkers were extracted from the CT images: total opacity ratio (TOR) and consolidation ratio (CR). After obtaining TOR and CR, further prognosis analysis was conducted on datasets from INSTITUTE-1, INSTITUTE-2 and INSTITUTE-3. For each data cohort, generalized linear model (GLM) was applied for prognosis prediction.

RESULTS

For the deep learning model, the correlation coefficient of the network prediction and manual segmentation was 0.755, 0.919, and 0.824 for the three cohorts, respectively. The AUC (95 % CI) of the final prognosis models was 0.85(0.77,0.92), 0.93(0.87,0.98), and 0.86(0.75,0.94) for INSTITUTE-1, INSTITUTE-2 and INSTITUTE-3 cohorts, respectively. Either TOR or CR exist in all three final prognosis models. Age, white blood cell (WBC), and platelet (PLT) were chosen predictors in two cohorts. Oxygen saturation (SpO2) was a chosen predictor in one cohort.

CONCLUSION

The developed deep learning method can segment lung infection regions. Prognosis results indicated that age, SpO2, CT biomarkers, PLT, and WBC were the most important prognostic predictors of COVID-19 in our prognosis model.

Revised Korean Antiviral Guideline Reduces the Hepatitis B-related Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk in Cirrhotic Patients

BACKGROUND

Since September 2015, the initiation of antiviral therapy (AVT) for patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-related cirrhosis has been reimbursed according to the revised Korean Association for the Study of Liver (KASL) guideline, if the patient had hepatitis B virus DNA level ≥ 2,000 IU/L, regardless of aminotransferase or alanine aminotransferase levels. This study investigated whether the KASL guideline implementation reduced the risk of CHB-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis in South Korea.

METHODS

A total of 429 patients with CHB-related cirrhosis who initiated AVT between 2014 and 2016 were recruited. The risk of HCC development was compared between patients who initiated AVT before and after September 2015 (pre-guideline [n = 196, 45.7%] vs. post-guideline implementation [n = 233, 54.3%]).

RESULTS

Univariate analysis showed that AVT initiation before guideline implementation, older age, male gender, and diabetes significantly predicted increased risk of HCC development (all P < 0.05). Subsequent multivariate analysis showed that AVT initiation before guideline implementation (HR = 1.941), older age (HR = 5.762), male gender (HR = 2.555), and diabetes (HR = 1.568) independently predicted increased risk of HCC development (all P < 0.05). Additionally, multivariate analysis showed that AVT initiation before guideline implementation (HR = 2.309), male gender (HR = 3.058), and lower platelet count (HR = 0.989) independently predicted mortality (P < 0.05). The cumulative incidences of HCC and mortality were significantly higher in patients who initiated AVT before guideline implementation than in those who initiated AVT after guideline implementation (all P < 0.05, log-rank test).

CONCLUSION

The prognosis of patients with CHB-related cirrhosis who initiated AVT improved after guideline implementation according to the revised KASL guideline.

Long interspersed nuclear element-1 hypomethylation is associated with poor outcomes via the activation of ST18 in human hepatocellular carcinoma

The level of long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1) methylation, representing the global deoxyribonucleic acid methylation level, could contribute to the prognosis of cancer via the activation of oncogenes. This study was performed to evaluate the prognostic implications of LINE-1 hypomethylation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the possible mechanisms related to oncogene activation.Seventy-seven HCC patients between October 2014 and September 2015 were enrolled in this prospective study. Quantitative pyrosequencing was performed to assess the LINE-1 methylation level of HCC and matched non-HCC tissue samples. The expression of suppression of tumorigenicity 18 was measured by immunohistochemistry and its correlation with LINE-1 methylation levels was examined.LINE-1 was significantly hypomethylated in the HCC tissue compared with the matched nontumor tissue (64.0 ± 11.6% vs 75.6 ± 4.0%, P < .001). LINE-1 hypomethylation was an independent risk factor for overall survival (hazard ratio = 27.291, P = .032) and disease progression (hazard ratio = 5.298, P = .005). The expression of suppression of tumorigenicity 18 was higher in the hypomethylated LINE-1 HCC tissue than the hypermethylated LINE-1 tumor tissue (P = .030).LINE-1 hypomethylation may serve as a potential prognostic marker for patients with HCC.

Deep metric learning-based image retrieval system for chest radiograph and its clinical applications in COVID-19

In recent years, deep learning-based image analysis methods have been widely applied in computer-aided detection, diagnosis and prognosis, and has shown its value during the public health crisis of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Chest radiograph (CXR) has been playing a crucial role in COVID-19 patient triaging, diagnosing and monitoring, particularly in the United States. Considering the mixed and unspecific signals in CXR, an image retrieval model of CXR that provides both similar images and associated clinical information can be more clinically meaningful than a direct image diagnostic model. In this work we develop a novel CXR image retrieval model based on deep metric learning. Unlike traditional diagnostic models which aim at learning the direct mapping from images to labels, the proposed model aims at learning the optimized embedding space of images, where images with the same labels and similar contents are pulled together. The proposed model utilizes multi-similarity loss with hard-mining sampling strategy and attention mechanism to learn the optimized embedding space, and provides similar images, the visualizations of disease-related attention maps and useful clinical information to assist clinical decisions. The model is trained and validated on an international multi-site COVID-19 dataset collected from 3 different sources. Experimental results of COVID-19 image retrieval and diagnosis tasks show that the proposed model can serve as a robust solution for CXR analysis and patient management for COVID-19. The model is also tested on its transferability on a different clinical decision support task for COVID-19, where the pre-trained model is applied to extract image features from a new dataset without any further training. The extracted features are then combined with COVID-19 patient's vitals, lab tests and medical histories to predict the possibility of airway intubation in 72 hours, which is strongly associated with patient prognosis, and is crucial for patient care and hospital resource planning. These results demonstrate our deep metric learning based image retrieval model is highly efficient in the CXR retrieval, diagnosis and prognosis, and thus has great clinical value for the treatment and management of COVID-19 patients.

Federated Learning used for predicting outcomes in SARS-COV-2 patients

'Federated Learning' (FL) is a method to train Artificial Intelligence (AI) models with data from multiple sources while maintaining anonymity of the data thus removing many barriers to data sharing. During the SARS-COV-2 pandemic, 20 institutes collaborated on a healthcare FL study to predict future oxygen requirements of infected patients using inputs of vital signs, laboratory data, and chest x-rays, constituting the "EXAM" (EMR CXR AI Model) model. EXAM achieved an average Area Under the Curve (AUC) of over 0.92, an average improvement of 16%, and a 38% increase in generalisability over local models. The FL paradigm was successfully applied to facilitate a rapid data science collaboration without data exchange, resulting in a model that generalised across heterogeneous, unharmonized datasets. This provided the broader healthcare community with a validated model to respond to COVID-19 challenges, as well as set the stage for broader use of FL in healthcare.

Validation of risk prediction scores for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with entecavir or tenofovir

Several prediction scores for the early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are available. We validated the predictive accuracy of age, albumin, sex, liver cirrhosis (AASL), RESCUE-B, PAGE-B and modified PAGE-B (mPAGE-B) scores in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated with entecavir (ETV) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF). Between 2007 and 2014, 3171 patients were recruited (1645, ETV; 1517, TDF). The predictive accuracy of each prediction score was assessed. The mean age of the study population (1977 men; 1194 women) was 48.8 years. Liver cirrhosis was present in 1040 (32.8%) patients. During follow-up (median, 58.2 months), 280 (8.8%) patients developed HCC; these patients were significantly older; more likely to be male; had significantly higher proportions of liver cirrhosis, hypertension and diabetes; and had significantly higher values for the four risk scores than those who did not develop HCC (all P < .05). Older age (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.048), male sex (HR = 2.142), liver cirrhosis (HR = 3.144) and prolonged prothrombin time (HR = 2.589) were independently associated with an increased risk of HCC (all P < .05), whereas a higher platelet count (HR = 0.996) was independently associated with a decreased risk of HCC (P < .05). The predictive accuracy of AASL score was the highest for 3- and 5-year HCC predictions (areas under the curve [AUCs] = 0.818 and 0.816, respectively), followed by RESCUE-B, PAGE-B and mPAGE-B scores (AUC = 0.780-0.815 and 0.769-0.814, respectively). In conclusion, four HCC prediction scores were assessed in Korean CHB patients treated with ETV or TDF. The AASL score showed the highest predictive accuracy.

Prognostic Value of Alpha-Fetoprotein in Patients Who Achieve a Complete Response to Transarterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

PURPOSE

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a prognostic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the prognostic value of AFP levels in patients who achieved complete response (CR) to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for HCC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between 2005 and 2018, 890 patients with HCC who achieved a CR to TACE were recruited. An AFP responder was defined as a patient who showed elevated levels of AFP (>10 ng/mL) during TACE, but showed normalization or a >50% reduction in AFP levels after achieving a CR.

RESULTS

Among the recruited patients, 569 (63.9%) with naïve HCC and 321 (36.1%) with recurrent HCC after complete resection were treated. Before TACE, 305 (34.3%) patients had multiple tumors, 219 (24.6%) had a maximal tumor size >3 cm, and 22 (2.5%) had portal vein tumor thrombosis. The median AFP level after achieving a CR was 6.36 ng/mL. After a CR, 473 (53.1%) patients experienced recurrence, and 417 (46.9%) died [median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of 16.3 and 62.8 months, respectively]. High AFP levels at CR (>20 ng/mL) were independently associated with a shorter PFS [hazard ratio (HR)=1.403] and OS (HR=1.284), together with tumor multiplicity at TACE (HR=1.518 and 1.666, respectively). AFP non-responders at CR (76.2%, n=359 of 471) showed a shorter PFS (median 10.5 months vs. 15.5 months, HR=1.375) and OS (median 41.4 months vs. 61.8 months, HR=1.424) than AFP responders (all p=0.001).

CONCLUSION

High AFP levels and AFP non-responders were independently associated with poor outcomes after TACE. AFP holds clinical implications for detailed risk stratification upon achieving a CR after TACE.

Severity and Consolidation Quantification of COVID-19 From CT Images Using Deep Learning Based on Hybrid Weak Labels

Early and accurate diagnosis of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is essential for patient isolation and contact tracing so that the spread of infection can be limited. Computed tomography (CT) can provide important information in COVID-19, especially for patients with moderate to severe disease as well as those with worsening cardiopulmonary status. As an automatic tool, deep learning methods can be utilized to perform semantic segmentation of affected lung regions, which is important to establish disease severity and prognosis prediction. Both the extent and type of pulmonary opacities help assess disease severity. However, manually pixel-level multi-class labelling is time-consuming, subjective, and non-quantitative. In this article, we proposed a hybrid weak label-based deep learning method that utilize both the manually annotated pulmonary opacities from COVID-19 pneumonia and the patient-level disease-type information available from the clinical report. A UNet was firstly trained with semantic labels to segment the total infected region. It was used to initialize another UNet, which was trained to segment the consolidations with patient-level information using the Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed method, multi-institutional CT datasets from Iran, Italy, South Korea, and the United States were utilized. Results show that our proposed method can predict the infected regions as well as the consolidation regions with good correlation to human annotation.

A multi-centre study of trends in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma risk over time during long-term entecavir therapy

The risk of developing hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is reduced by antiviral therapy. Here, we evaluated the chronological trends in HCC development risk starting in 2007, when entecavir reimbursement was first initiated in South Korea. Treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) receiving entecavir 0.5 mg/d were stratified into three groups according to entecavir start time: early (2007-2010), middle (2011-2012) and late (2013-2014) cohorts Among 2442 patients, cumulative probabilities of developing HCC after 1, 3 and 5 years were, respectively, 1.7%, 5.1%, and 8.2% (early cohort; n = 672); 1.5%, 5.1% and 8.9% (middle cohort; n = 757); and 1.2%, 5.3% and 10.6% (late cohort; n = 1013; P > .05 between each pair). Older age, male, positive hepatitis B e antigen, liver cirrhosis, Child-Pugh class B (vs A) and lower platelet count significantly predicted HCC development in univariate analysis (P < .001), whereas entecavir start time (early vs middle vs late cohorts) did not affect the risk of HCC development (P = .457). A multivariate analysis revealed that older age (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]=1.041), male gender (aHR = 2.069), liver cirrhosis (aHR = 3.771) and Child-Pugh class B (vs A, aHR = 1.548) were independently associated with an increased risk of HCC development, whereas higher platelet count was independently associated with a reduced risk of HCC development (aHR = 0.993; all P < .05). In conclusion, the risk of developing HCC among patients receiving entecavir in South Korea has been stable since 2007. To establish more effective HCC surveillance programs, further studies regarding the carcinogenic roles of nonviral factors are required.

Fibrosis-4 index as a predictor for mortality in hospitalised patients with COVID-19: a retrospective multicentre cohort study

OBJECTIVE

The reliable risk factors for mortality of COVID-19 has not evaluated in well-characterised cohort. This study aimed to identify risk factors for in-hospital mortality within 56 days in patients with severe infection of COVID-19.

DESIGN

Retrospective multicentre cohort study.

SETTING

Five tertiary hospitals of Daegu, South Korea.

PARTICIPANTS

1005 participants over 19 years old confirmed COVID-19 using real-time PCR from nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs.

METHODS

The clinical and laboratory features of patients with COVID-19 receiving respiratory support were analysed to ascertain the risk factors for mortality using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The relationship between overall survival and risk factors was analysed using the Kaplan-Meier method.

OUTCOME

In-hospital mortality for any reason within 56 days.

RESULTS

Of the 1005 patients, 289 (28.8%) received respiratory support, and of these, 70 patients (24.2%) died. In multivariate analysis, high fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4; HR 2.784), low lymphocyte count (HR 0.480), diabetes (HR 1.917) and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (HR 1.714) were found to be independent risk factors for mortality in patients with COVID-19 receiving respiratory support (all p<0.05). Regardless of respiratory support, survival in the high FIB-4 group was significantly lower than in the low FIB-4 group (28.8 days vs 44.0 days, respectively, p<0.001). A number of risk factors were also significantly related to survival in patients with COVID-19 regardless of respiratory support (0-4 risk factors, 50.2 days; 49.7 days; 44.4 days; 32.0 days; 25.0 days, respectively, p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

FIB-4 index is a useful predictive marker for mortality in patients with COVID-19 regardless of its severity.

Plasma Long Noncoding RNA LeXis is a Potential Diagnostic Marker for Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis

Non-invasive diagnostic markers are needed to ease the diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) among patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) LeXis is related to cholesterol metabolism and hepatic steatosis in mice, and its batch genome conversion in humans is TCONS_00016452. Here, we aimed to evaluate the potential of lncRNA LeXis as a non-invasive diagnostic marker for NASH. We analyzed a total of 44 NAFLD patients whose diagnosis was confirmed by a pathologist through analysis of a percutaneous liver biopsy. The expression of LeXis in the plasma of NAFLD patients with and without NASH was compared using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The expression of plasma LeXis was significantly higher in patients with NASH than in those with NAFL (8.2 (5.0-14.9); 4.6 (4.0-6.6), p = 0.025). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.743 (95% CI 0.590-0.895, p < 0.001), and a sensitivity of 54.3% and specificity of 100% could be achieved for NASH diagnosis. Low LeXis was independently associated with NASH diagnosis in patients with NAFLD (p = 0.0349, odds ratio = 22.19 (5% CI, 1.25-395.22)). Therefore, circulating lncRNA LeXis could be a potential non-invasive diagnostic biomarker for NASH.

Predictive score for hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatitis B e antigen loss in patients treated with entecavir or tenofovir

The risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatitis B e antigen seroclearance (ESC) remains unclear. We established and validated a new risk prediction model for HCC development after ESC in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) receiving antiviral therapy (AVT). Between 2006 and 2016, 769 patients (training cohort) and 1,061 patients (validation cohort) with CHB who experienced ESC during AVT using entecavir (ETV) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) were recruited. In the multivariate analysis, male sex (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.092; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.152-3.800), cirrhosis (HR = 5.141; 95% CI = 2.367-11.167) and fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) of >3.25 (HR = 2.070; 95% CI = 1.184-3.620) were the independent risk factors for HCC development (all P < .05). Accordingly, a novel HCC-ESC_AVT model was developed (1x[sex: male = 1, female = 0] + 3x(cirrhosis = 1, noncirrhosis = 0) + 1x(FIB-4: >3.25 = 1, ≤3.25 = 0). The cumulative risk for HCC development was significantly different among the risk groups based on the HCC-ESC_AVT category (0-1, 2-4 and 5 for the low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups, respectively) (overall P < .001, log-rank test). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for predicting HCC development 3, 5 and 10 years after ESC was 0.791, 0.771 and 0.790, respectively (all P < .05). The predictive value of the HCC-ESC_AVT model was similar in the validation cohort (AUC = 0.802, 0.774 and 0.776 at 3, 5 and 10 years, respectively; all P < .05). Hence, we have developed and validated a new HCC-ESC_AVT model for HCC development, which includes male sex, cirrhosis and FIB-4 of >3.25 as constituent variables.

Clinical outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 in patients with pre-existing liver diseases: A multicenter study in South Korea

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly worldwide, the implication of pre-existing liver disease on the outcome of COVID-19 remains unresolved.
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METHODS

A total of 1,005 patients who were admitted to five tertiary hospitals in South Korea with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were included in this study. Clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients with coexisting liver disease as well as the predictors of disease severity and mortality of COVID-19 were assessed.
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RESULTS

Of the 47 patients (4.7%) who had liver-related comorbidities, 14 patients (1.4%) had liver cirrhosis. Liver cirrhosis was more common in COVID-19 patients with severe pneumonia than in those with non-severe pneumonia (4.5% vs. 0.9%, P=0.006). Compared to patients without liver cirrhosis, a higher proportion of patients with liver cirrhosis required oxygen therapy; were admitted to the intensive care unit; had septic shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or acute kidney injury; and died (P<0.05). The overall survival rate was significantly lower in patients with liver cirrhosis than in those without liver cirrhosis (log-rank test, P=0.003). Along with old age and diabetes, the presence of liver cirrhosis was found to be an independent predictor of severe disease (odds ratio, 4.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-17.02;P=0.026) and death (hazard ratio, 2.86; 95% CI, 1.04-9.30; P=0.042) in COVID-19 patients.
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CONCLUSION

This study suggests liver cirrhosis is a significant risk factor for COVID-19. Stronger personal protection and more intensive treatment for COVID-19 are recommended in these patients.

Changes in Characteristics of Patients with Liver Cirrhosis Visiting a Tertiary Hospital over 15 Years: a Retrospective Multi-Center Study in Korea

BACKGROUND

Liver cirrhosis has become a heavy burden not only for patients, but also for our society. However, little is known about the recent changes in clinical outcomes and characteristics of patients with cirrhosis-related complications in Korea. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate changes in characteristics of patients with liver cirrhosis in Daegu-Gyeongbuk province in Korea over the past 15 years.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 15,716 liver cirrhotic patients from 5 university hospitals in Daegu-Gyeongbuk province from 2000 to 2014. The Korean Standard Classification of Diseases-6 code associated with cirrhosis was investigated through medical records and classified according to the year of first visit.

RESULTS

A total of 15,716 patients was diagnosed with cirrhosis. A number of patients newly diagnosed with cirrhosis has decreased each year. In 2000, patients were most likely to be diagnosed with hepatitis B virus (HBV) cirrhosis, followed by alcoholic cirrhosis. There was a significant decrease in HBV (P < 0.001), but alcohol, hepatitis C virus (HCV), and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) showed a significant increase during the study period (alcohol, P = 0.036; HCV, P = 0.001; NAFLD, P = 0.001). At the time of initial diagnosis, the ratio of Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) class A gradually increased from 23.1% to 32.9% (P < 0.001). The most common cause of liver-related hospitalization in 2000 was hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (25.5%); in 2014, gastrointestinal bleeding with esophageal and gastric varices (21.4%) was the most common cause. Cases of hospitalization with liver-related complication represented 76.4% of all cases in 2000 but 70.9% in 2014. Incidence rate of HCC has recently increased. In addition, HCC-free survival was significantly lower in CTP class A than in classes B and C. Finally, there was significant difference in HCC occurrence according to causes (P < 0.001). HBV and HCV cirrhosis had lower HCC-free survival than alcoholic and NAFLD cirrhosis.

CONCLUSION

In recent years, the overall number of cirrhosis patients has decreased. This study confirmed the recent trend in decrease of cirrhosis, especially of cirrhosis due to HBV, and the increase of HCV, alcoholic and NAFLD cirrhosis. Targeted screening for at-risk patients will facilitate early detection of liver diseases allowing effective intervention and may have decreased the development of cirrhosis and its complications.

Treatment Outcomes and Prognostic Factors of Acute Variceal Bleeding in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background/Aims

The treatment outcomes and prognostic markers of acute variceal bleeding (AVB) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients remain unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the clinical outcomes and prognostic factors of AVB in HCC patients.

Methods

Cirrhotic patients with endoscopically confirmed AVB between 2007 and 2013 were enrolled in this prospective study. Prognostic factors were identified by multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.

Results

Among the 329 enrolled patients, 125 patients (38.0%) were diagnosed with HCC. The 6-week mortality rates of all enrolled AVB patients and the HCC subgroup were 14.9% and 26.4%. The 5-day treatment failure, 6-week mortality, cirrhosis-related complications, and duration of hospitalization were greater in HCC patients than in non-HCC patients (all p<0.05). In the HCC subgroup, the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score (hazard ratio [HR], 1.145; p=0.001) and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage (C-D vs 0-B) (HR, 3.096; p=0.019) were independent predictors of 6-week mortality. Our study revealed that 85% of HCC patients with both a MELD score ≥15.5 and BCLC stage C-D died within 6 weeks, and the 6-week mortality risk was 21-fold higher in this group than in the group with a lower MELD score and earlier HCC stage (p<0.001).

Conclusions

The 5-day treatment failure and 6-week mortality rates were significantly higher among AVB patients with HCC than those without HCC. The MELD score and the presence and stage of HCC are strong predictors of 6-week mortality in patients with AVB.

Extremely low risk of hepatocellular carcinoma development in patients with chronic hepatitis B in immune-tolerant phase

BACKGROUND

Anti-viral therapy is not indicated for patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in the immune-tolerant phase.

AIMS

To investigate the cumulative incidence of phase change and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and independent predictors for phase change in patients with CHB in immune-tolerant phase.

METHODS

In total, 946 patients in immune-tolerant phase, defined as hepatitis B e antigen positivity, HBV-DNA >20 000 IU/mL and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤40 IU/L, between 1989 and 2017 were enrolled from eight institutes.

RESULTS

The mean age of study population (429 men and 517 women) was 36.7 years. The mean ALT and HBV-DNA levels were 24.6 IU/L and 8.50 log₁₀ IU/mL, respectively. Of the study population, 476 (50.3%) patients remained in immune-tolerant phase throughout the study period (median: 63.6 months). The cumulative incidence rates of phase change and HCC at 10 years were 70.7% and 1.7%, respectively. Multivariate analyses revealed that HBV-DNA level >10⁷  IU/mL was associated independently with a reduced risk of phase change (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.734, P = 0.008), whereas a high ALT level, above the cut-off recommended in the Korean Association for the Study of the Liver guidelines (34 IU/L for men and 30 IU/L for women), was associated independently with a greater risk of phase change (HR = 1.885, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The criterion of HBV-DNA level > 10⁷  IU/mL may be useful to define immune-tolerant phase. In addition, an extremely low risk of HCC development was observed in patients with CHB in immune-tolerant phase.

Entecavir+tenofovir vs. lamivudine/telbivudine+adefovir in chronic hepatitis B patients with prior suboptimal response

Background/Aims

Suboptimal responses to lamivudine or telbivudine plus adefovir (LAM/LdT+ADV) rescue therapy are common in patients with LAM-resistant hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. We compared patients switched to entecavir plus tenofovir (ETV+TDF) to those maintained on LAM/LdT+ADV.

Methods

This prospective randomized controlled trial examined 91 patients whose serum HBV DNA levels were greater than 60 IU/mL after at least 24 weeks of treatment with LAM/LdT+ADV for LAM-resistant HBV. Patients were randomized to receive a new treatment (ETV+TDF, n=45) or maintained on the same treatment (LAM/LdT+ADV, n=46) for 48 weeks. Patients with baseline ADV resistance were excluded.

Results

Compared to LAM/LdT+ADV group, ETV+TDF group had more patients with a virologic response (42/45 [93.33%] vs. 3/46 [6.52%], P<0.001) and had a greater mean reduction in serum HBV DNA level from baseline (-4.16 vs. -0.37 log₁₀ IU/mL, P<0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that high baseline HBV DNA level (P=0.005) and LAM/LdT+ADV maintenance therapy (P=0.001) were negatively associated with virologic response. At week 48, additional ADV- or ETV-associated mutations were cleared in ETV+TDF group, but such mutations were present in 4.3% of patients in LAM/LdT+ADV group (P=0.106). The two groups had similar rates of adverse events.

Conclusions

ETV+TDF combination treatment led to a significantly higher rate of virologic response compared to LAM/LdT+ADV combination treatment in patients with LAM-resistant HBV who had suboptimal responses to LAM/LdT+ADV regardless of HBV genotypic resistance profile (NCT01597934).

Effects of Branched-Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) Supplementation on the Progression of Advanced Liver Disease: A Korean Nationwide, Multicenter, Prospective, Observational, Cohort Study

Background and Aims: Clinical evidence for the benefits of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) is lacking in advanced liver disease. We evaluated the potential benefits of long-term oral BCAA supplementation in patients with advanced liver disease. Methods: Liver cirrhosis patients with Child–Pugh (CP) scores from 8 to 10 were prospectively recruited from 13 medical centers. Patients supplemented with 12.45 g of daily BCAA granules over 6 months, and patients consuming a regular diet were assigned to the BCAA and control groups, respectively. The effects of BCAA supplementation were evaluated using the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, CP score, serum albumin, serum bilirubin, incidence of cirrhosis-related events, and event-free survival for 24 months. Results: A total of 124 patients was analyzed: 63 in the BCAA group and 61 in the control group. The MELD score (p = 0.009) and CP score (p = 0.011) significantly improved in the BCAA group compared to the control group over time. However, the levels of serum albumin and bilirubin in the BCAA group did not improve during the study period. The cumulative event-free survival was significantly improved in the BCAA group compared to the control group (HR = 0.389, 95% CI = 0.221–0.684, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Long-term supplementation with oral BCAAs can potentially improve liver function and reduce major complications of cirrhosis in patients with advanced liver disease.

Validation of the CAMD Score in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection Receiving Antiviral Therapy

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Researchers previously developed a scoring system to determine the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, based on the presence of cirrhosis, patient age, male sex, and diabetes (called the CAMD scoring system). We validated the CAMD scoring system and compared its performance with that of other risk assessment models in an independent cohort.

METHODS

We followed up 3277 patients with chronic HBV infection (mean age, 48.7 y; 62.6% male; 32.4% with cirrhosis) who were treated with entecavir (n = 1725) or tenofovir (n = 1552) as the first-line antiviral agent in 4 academic teaching hospitals in the Republic of Korea. The primary outcome was development of HCC. We evaluated the ability of the CAMD, PAGE-B, and mPAGE-B scoring systems to identify patients who would develop HCC using integrated area under the curve (iAUC) analysis.

RESULTS

Over a median follow-up period of 58.2 months, 8.9% of the patients developed HCC. Patients who developed HCC were older, more likely to be male, and had higher proportions of cirrhosis and diabetes than patients who did not develop HCC (all P < .05). CAMD scores identified patients who developed HCC with an iAUC of 0.790, mPAGE-B scores with an iAUC of 0.769, and PAGE-B scores with an iAUC of 0.760. The 5-year cumulative risks of HCC were 1.3% in patients with low CAMD scores (<8), 8.0% in patients with intermediate CAMD scores (8-13), and 24.3% in patients with high CAMD scores (>13) (P < .001 for comparison of low- vs intermediate-score groups and between intermediate- vs high-score groups). The predicted and observed probabilities of HCC had excellent agreement.

CONCLUSIONS

We validated the CAMD scoring system in determining the risk of HCC in patients with chronic HBV treatment receiving entecavir or tenofovir treatment. Validation was performed in a cohort of patients in the Republic of Korea, where most patients have genotype C2 HBV infection.

Switching from tenofovir disoproxil fumarate to tenofovir alafenamide in virologically suppressed patients with chronic hepatitis B: a randomised, double-blind, phase 3, multicentre non-inferiority study

BACKGROUND

Treatment with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate has been associated with renal toxicity or reductions in bone mineral density, or both, in some patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Tenofovir alafenamide is a tenofovir prodrug with high intrahepatic concentrations of active drug and reduced systemic tenofovir exposures compared with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. In patients with chronic HBV, tenofovir alafenamide has shown efficacy non-inferior to that of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate with improved renal and bone safety. With this non-inferiority study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tenofovir alafenamide in patients with HBV infection switching from tenofovir disoproxil fumarate who are virally suppressed.

METHODS

Patients with chronic HBV infection who had been receiving tenofovir disoproxil fumarate for 48 weeks or more and who had HBV DNA less than the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) for at least 12 weeks were recruited to this randomised, multicentre, double-blind, phase 3 non-inferiority study. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive tenofovir alafenamide 25 mg once a day or to continue tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg once a day. The primary efficacy endpoint was loss of virological control, defined as the proportion of patients who received at least one dose of study drug who had HBV DNA of at least 20 IU/mL at week 48 by the modified US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) snapshot algorithm. Key safety endpoints were changes in hip and spine bone mineral density, estimated creatinine clearance by Cockcroft-Gault, and markers of bone turnover and renal tubular function. The study was powered for non-inferiority in efficacy of tenofovir alafenamide versus tenofovir disoproxil fumarate with a 4% margin. Investigators and patients were unaware of treatment allocation and on-treatment results. This trial is ongoing and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02979613.

FINDINGS

Participants in this study were enrolled between Dec 29, 2016, and Oct 20, 2017. 541 patients were screened and 490 patients were randomly assigned to switch to tenofovir alafenamide or to stay on tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. Two patients assigned to receive tenofovir alafenamide did not receive treatment; thus the full analysis set for efficacy and safety analyses consisted of 243 patients in the tenofovir alafenamide group and 245 in the tenofovir disoproxil fumarate group. At week 48, one patient from each treatment group (both <1%) had HBV DNA of at least 20 IU/mL (difference in proportion 0·0%, 95% CI -1·9 to 2·0), thereby showing non-inferior efficacy of tenofovir alafenamide to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. Patients who received tenofovir alafenamide had significantly increased bone mineral density at hip (mean change 0·66% [SD 2·08] vs -0·51% [SD 1·91]; difference in least square means 1·17% [95% CI 0·80 to 1·54; p<0·0001]) and at spine (mean change 1·74% [3·46] vs -0·11% [3·13]; difference in least square means 1·85% [1·24 to 2·46; p<0·0001]), creatinine clearance by Cockcroft-Gault relative to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (median change 0·94 mL/min [IQR -4·47 to 6·24] vs -2·74 mL/min [-7·89 to 1·88]; p <0·0001), and improved markers of bone turnover and tubular function at week 48. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events were upper respiratory tract infection (18 [7%] of 243 patients in the tenofovir alafenamide group and 16 [7%] of 245 patients in the tenofovir disoproxil fumarate group) and nasopharyngitis (13 [5%] of 243 patients in the tenofovir alafenamide group and 12 [5%] of 245 patients in the tenofovir disoproxil fumarate group). The incidence of grade 3 and above adverse events and serious adverse events was low and similar between groups. No viral resistance was observed in patients who qualified for viral sequencing.

INTERPRETATION

These findings suggest that tenofovir alafenamide can be substituted for tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in patients with HBV infection for improved safety without a loss of efficacy.

FUNDING

Gilead Sciences.

Subsequent anticancer procedures following first-line lenvatinib (LEN): A post hoc analysis from the phase III REFLECT study in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC)

520

Background: The availability of newer therapeutic options has shifted the treatment paradigm for uHCC, evoking questions regarding the sequencing of anticancer therapies. REFLECT was a phase 3 study comparing the efficacy and safety of LEN versus sorafenib (SOR) in first-line treatment of patients (pts) who have uHCC. In this post hoc analysis, we investigated overall survival (OS) during the follow-up survival period between treatment arms for pts who did and did not receive subsequent anticancer procedures and for responders to first-line LEN who received subsequent anticancer procedures. Methods: Pts in REFLECT were randomized 1:1 to LEN or SOR. The follow-up period commenced at the first visit after stopping study medications. Pts were followed-up every 12 weeks until data cutoff (Nov 13, 2016) or death. OS was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and presented with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Pts receiving subsequent radiotherapy were excluded from the OS analysis. Results: Of the 954 pts enrolled in REFLECT, 122/478 (26%) LEN- and 130/476 (27%) SOR-treated pts received subsequent anticancer procedures, with the most common being transarterial chemotherapy embolization (LEN n = 69 [14.4%]; SOR n = 81 [17.0%]) and hepatic intra-arterial chemotherapy (LEN n = 23 [4.8%]; SOR n = 25 [5.3%]). Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status scores and laboratory assessments, including liver function, were comparable between arms at first-line treatment discontinuation. Of the pts who received subsequent anticancer procedures, those randomized to first-line LEN (n = 99) had a longer median OS (23.0 vs 19.6 months, respectively; hazard ratio [HR]: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.51–1.01) than those randomized to first-line SOR (n = 112). Responders to first-line LEN who received subsequent anticancer procedures (n = 45) had a median OS of 27.2 months (95% CI: 20.7–29.8). There were too few SOR responders (n = 10) who received subsequent anticancer procedures to evaluate OS. Conclusions: Pts randomized to first-line LEN who received subsequent anticancer procedures had longer OS compared with the similar sequence for pts taking first-line SOR. Clinical trial information: NCT01761266.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk Steadily Persists over Time Despite Long-Term Antiviral Therapy for Hepatitis B: A Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND

Long-term antiviral therapy (AVT) for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) reduces the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We assessed the temporal trends in the incidence of HCC over time during long-term AVT among Asian patients with CHB.

METHODS

Patients with CHB receiving entecavir/tenofovir (ETV/TDF) as a first-line antiviral were recruited from four academic hospitals in the Republic of Korea. We compared the incidence of HCC during and after the first 5 years of ETV/TDF treatment.

RESULTS

Among 3,156 patients, the median age was 49.6 years and males predominated (62.4%). During the follow-up, 9.0% developed HCC. The annual incidence of HCC per 100 person-years during the first 5 years (n = 1,671) and after the first 5 years (n = 1,485) was statistically similar (1.93% vs. 2.27%, P = 0.347). When the study population was stratified according to HCC prediction model, that is, modified PAGE-B score, the annual incidence of HCC was 0.11% versus 0.39% in the low-risk group (<8 points), 1.26% versus 1.82% in the intermediate-risk group (9-12 points), and 4.63% versus 5.24% in the high-risk group (≥13 points; all P > 0.05). A Poisson regression analysis indicated that the duration of AVT did not significantly affect the overall trend of the incidence of HCC (adjusted annual incidence rate ratio = 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.66-1.11; P = 0.232).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite long-term AVT, the risk of HCC steadily persists over time among patients with CHB in the Republic of Korea, in whom HBV genotype C2 predominates.

IMPACT

Careful HCC surveillance is still essential.

Percutaneous portal vein embolization for intractable hepatic biloma after radiofrequency ablation

Intrahepatic biloma is a rare complication of radiofrequency ablation (RFA). When present, it can only be conservatively managed. Here, we report the case of a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma complicated by an intractable biloma after RFA. The biloma could not be managed via percutaneous catheter drainage and antibiotic administration for over 3 months. The intractable biloma was finally cured using percutaneous transhepatic portal vein embolization. The present case demonstrates a useful treatment option for intractable biloma after RFA.

Effects of Subsequent Systemic Anticancer Medication Following First-Line Lenvatinib: A Post Hoc Responder Analysis from the Phase 3 REFLECT Study in Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma

INTRODUCTION

Understanding the relationship between subsequent-line therapies and overall survival (OS) is important for maximizing OS for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE

In this post hoc analysis, we investigated OS in lenvatinib- and sorafenib-treated patients from the REFLECT study, who then received subsequent anticancer medication during the survival follow-up period.

METHODS

The follow-up period commenced at the first off-treatment visit after stopping the study medication and continued until study termination, withdrawal of consent, or death. OS and objective response rate were calculated for patients who did or did not receive poststudy anticancer medication for both treatment arms, as well as for the overall cohort. We investigated the subset of patients who responded to first-line treatment and subsequently received anticancer medication.

RESULTS

The OS for patients initially randomized to first-line lenvatinib (versus first-line sorafenib) and who then received any subsequent anticancer medication was 20.8 vs. 17.0 months (hazard ratio [HR] 0.87; 95% CI 0.67-1.14). The OS for patients who initially received first-line lenvatinib (versus first-line sorafenib) and who did not receive any subsequent anticancer medication was 11.5 vs. 9.1 months (HR 0.90; 95% CI 0.75-1.09). Responders to first-line lenvatinib who received subsequent medication had a median OS of 25.7 months (95% CI 18.5-34.6); responders to first line-sorafenib who received subsequent medication had a median OS of 22.3 months (95% CI 14.6-not evaluable).

CONCLUSIONS

In this post hoc analysis of all patients in the REFLECT study who received subsequent anticancer medication, OS was increased compared with patients who did not receive any subsequent anticancer medication. In a subset analysis of responders who had received subsequent anticancer medication, use of first-line lenvatinib led to a slightly longer median OS; more research is needed on the benefits of using first-line lenvatinib compared with sorafenib.

Long-term Outcomes of Antiviral Therapy in Patients With Advanced Chronic HBV Infection

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) suppression with nucleot(s)ide analogue therapy reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with advanced liver disease.¹ In the present era of potent antiviral therapies, the prognostic significance of the serum HBV DNA level as a biological gradient has substantially diminished; the majority of treated patients achieve virologic suppression.^2,3 After control of viremia, a higher baseline fibrosis level is a useful predictor for disease progression.⁴ Few "prospective" studies on the effects of antiviral agents, especially in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with advanced liver disease, have been reported.

A multicenter study of entecavir vs. tenofovir on prognosis of treatment-naïve chronic hepatitis B in South Korea

BACKGROUND & AIMS

It is currently unclear which antiviral agent, entecavir (ETV) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), is superior for improving prognosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Here, we assessed the ability of these 2 antivirals to prevent liver-disease progression in treatment-naïve patients with CHB.

METHODS

From 2012 to 2014, treatment-naïve patients with CHB who received ETV or TDF as a first-line antiviral agent were recruited from 4 academic teaching hospitals. Patients with decompensated cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at enrollment were excluded. Cumulative probabilities of HCC and death or orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) were assessed.

RESULTS

In total, 2,897 patients (1,484 and 1,413 in the ETV and TDF groups, respectively) were recruited. The annual HCC incidence was not statistically different between the ETV and TDF groups (1.92 vs. 1.69 per 100 person-years [PY], respectively; adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.975 [p = 0.852] by multivariate analysis). Propensity score (PS)-matched and inverse probability of treatment weighting (ITPW) analyses yielded similar patterns of results (HR 1.021 [p = 0.884] and 0.998 [p = 0.988], respectively). The annual incidence of death or OLT was not statistically different between the ETV and TDF groups (0.52 vs. 0.53 per 100 PY, respectively; adjusted HR 1.202 [p = 0.451]). PS-matched and ITPW analyses yielded similar patterns of results (HR 1.248 [p = 0.385] and 1.239 [p = 0.360], respectively). These findings were consistently reproduced in patients with compensated cirrhosis (all p >0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The overall prognosis in terms of HCC and death or OLT was not statistically different between the ETV and TDF groups. Further studies are needed to validate our results.

LAY SUMMARY

It is currently unclear which antiviral agent, entecavir or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, is superior for improving prognosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. In this analysis we found that there was no difference in terms of overall prognosis, including risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, death, or the need for a liver transplant, in patients receiving either antiviral.

A Model to Predict 1-Month Risk of Transplant or Death in Hepatitis A-Related Acute Liver Failure

Acute liver failure (ALF) caused by hepatitis A is a rare but fatal disease. Here, we developed a model to predict outcome in patients with ALF caused by hepatitis A. The derivation set consisted of 294 patients diagnosed with hepatitis A-related ALF (ALFA) from Korea, and a validation set of 56 patients from Japan, India, and United Kingdom. Using a multivariate proportional hazard model, a risk-prediction model (ALFA score) consisting of age, international normalized ratio, bilirubin, ammonia, creatinine, and hemoglobin levels acquired on the day of ALF diagnosis was developed. The ALFA score showed the highest discrimination in the prediction of liver transplant or death at 1 month (c-statistic, 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84-0.92) versus King's College criteria (KCC; c-statistic, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.53-0.59), U.S. Acute Liver Failure Study Group index specific for hepatitis A virus (HAV-ALFSG; c-statistic, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.65-0.76), the new ALFSG index (c-statistic, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.74-0.84), Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD; c-statistic, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.74-0.84), and MELD including sodium (MELD-Na; c-statistic, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.73-0.84) in the derivation set (all P < 0.01). In the validation set, the performance of the ALFA score (c-statistic, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.74-0.94) was significantly better than that of KCC (c-statistic, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.52-0.79), MELD (c-statistic, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.61-0.87), and MELD-Na (c-statistic, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.58-0.85) (all P < 0.05), and better, but not statistically significant, than that of the HAV-ALFSG (c-statistic, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.61-0.90; P = 0.28) and new ALFSG indices (c-statistic, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.65-0.93; P = 0.41). The model was well-calibrated in both sets. Conclusion: Our disease-specific score provides refined prediction of outcome in patients with ALF caused by hepatitis A.