scholarly journals Circulating MicroRNA-21 and MicroRNA-122 as Prognostic Biomarkers in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Treated with Transarterial Chemoembolization

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 890
Author(s):  
Filippo Pelizzaro ◽  
Romilda Cardin ◽  
Anna Sartori ◽  
Angela Imondi ◽  
Barbara Penzo ◽  
...  

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been proposed as biomarkers in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aim at evaluating miR-21 and miR-122 in HCC patients treated with drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) as prognostic biomarkers and investigating their correlation with hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) serum levels. Methods: In this retrospective study, 12 healthy subjects, 28 cirrhotics, and 54 HCC patients (tested before and four weeks after DEB-TACE) were included. Whole blood miR-21 and miR-122 levels were measured by quantitative real time (qRT)-PCR, while serum HIF-1α was assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. Results: The highest level of miR-21 was found in cirrhotics, while HCC patients had the highest level of miR-122 (which was even higher in “viral” HCC, p = 0.006). miR-21 ratio (after/before DEB-TACE) and miR-122 below their respective cut-offs identified patients with longer progression-free survival (p = 0.0002 and p = 0.02, respectively). The combined assessment of alpha-fetoprotein and miR-21 ratio, both independent prognostic predictors, identified early progressors among patients with complete or partial radiological response. miR-21 levels positively correlated with HIF-1α before (p = 0.045) and after DEB-TACE (p = 0.035). Conclusions: miR-21 ratio and miR-122 are useful prognostic markers after DEB-TACE. miR-21 correlates with HIF-1α and probably has a role in modulating angiogenesis in HCC.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengzhou Guo ◽  
Feng Qi ◽  
Qianwen Rao ◽  
Jialei Sun ◽  
Xiaojing Du ◽  
...  

BackgroundTransarterial chemoembolization (TACE) stands for the most commonly utilized therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. This study was to explore the potential predictive and prognostic roles of LAG-3 and PD-L1 as serum biomarkers in HCC patients underwent TACE treatment.MethodsA total of 100 HCC patients receiving TACE as well as 30 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Serum LAG-3 and PD-L1 levels were determined at baseline and 3 day after TACE using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).ResultsWe found serum levels of LAG-3 and PD-L1 were significantly elevated in HCC patients compared with healthy controls. Interestingly, patients with low pre-TACE and post-TACE levels of LAG-3 but not PD-L1 had a high probability of achieving an objective response (OR) after TACE treatment. Additionally, high pre-TACE LAG-3 level was correlated with poor disease outcome, and the patients with both high serum LAG-3 and PD-L1 level had the shorter overall survival (OS) than patients who are either PD-L1 or LAG-3 high or both PD-L1 and LAG-3 low. High pre-TACE serum LAG-3 level was positively associated with more cirrhosis pattern, advanced BCLC stage, pre-TACE alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level, and pre-TACE aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level. Furthermore, in 50 patients who underwent TACE, the serum LAG-3 level was significantly decreased at 3 day after TACE.ConclusionBoth pre-TACE and post-TACE serum LAG-3 levels could serve as powerful predictors for tumor response of TACE, and high pre-TACE serum LAG-3 level was an indicator for poor prognosis in HCC.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroaki Kanzaki ◽  
Tetsuhiro Chiba ◽  
Junjie Ao ◽  
Keisuke Koroki ◽  
Kengo Kanayama ◽  
...  

AbstractFGF19/FGFR4 autocrine signaling is one of the main targets for multi-kinase inhibitors (MKIs). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying FGF19/FGFR4 signaling in the antitumor effects to MKIs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. In this study, the impact of FGFR4/ERK signaling inhibition on HCC following MKI treatment was analyzed in vitro and in vivo assays. Serum FGF19 in HCC patients treated using MKIs, such as sorafenib (n = 173) and lenvatinib (n = 40), was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Lenvatinib strongly inhibited the phosphorylation of FRS2 and ERK, the downstream signaling molecules of FGFR4, compared with sorafenib and regorafenib. Additional use of a selective FGFR4 inhibitor with sorafenib further suppressed FGFR4/ERK signaling and synergistically inhibited HCC cell growth in culture and xenograft subcutaneous tumors. Although serum FGF19high (n = 68) patients treated using sorafenib exhibited a significantly shorter progression-free survival and overall survival than FGF19low (n = 105) patients, there were no significant differences between FGF19high (n = 21) and FGF19low (n = 19) patients treated using lenvatinib. In conclusion, robust inhibition of FGF19/FGFR4 is of importance for the exertion of antitumor effects of MKIs. Serum FGF19 levels may function as a predictive marker for drug response and survival in HCC patients treated using sorafenib.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Zheng ◽  
Yanqiao Ren ◽  
Hanqing Hu ◽  
Kun Qian

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in combination with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) (TACE-RFA) and repeat hepatectomy in the treatment of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after curative resection.MethodsThis retrospective study evaluated consecutive medical records of patients who received either TACE-RFA or repeat hepatectomy between January 2010 and May 2021. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and complications were compared.ResultsOf the 2672 patients who received either TACE-RFA or repeat hepatectomy, 111 eligible patients were included in our study, 63 in the TACE-RFA group and 48 in the repeat hepatectomy group. The median OS was 38 months in the TACE-RFA group and 42 months in the repeat hepatectomy group, with no statistically difference between the two groups (P=0.45). Meanwhile, there was also no statistically significant difference in PFS between the two groups (P=0.634). Although both groups achieved similar outcomes, the rate of major complications was significantly higher in the repeat hepatectomy group (P=0.003).ConclusionsPatients with recurrent HCC in the TACE-RFA group and the repeat hepatectomy group had similar OS and PFS regardless of the patient’s tumor diameter, but the TACE-RFA group was safer and more minimally invasive.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 287-287
Author(s):  
Thierry De Baere ◽  
Filipe Veloso Gomes ◽  
Gontran Verset ◽  
Gerardo Tovar-Felice ◽  
Katerina Malagari ◽  
...  

287 Background: Transarterial chemoembolization either with Lipiodol (cTACE) or with drug eluting microspheres (DEM-TACE) is indicated for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) not amenable to curative treatments in patients with preserved liver function. Safety of TACE is becoming more important with its increased use as a bridge to transplant or downstaging to resection, but also for preservation of liver function in case of subsequent immuno-combination therapies. LifePearl microspheres is a novel DEM comprised of polyethylene-glycol with reported good safety profile and efficacy in smaller series. Our purpose was to assess safety and efficacy of TACE using anthracycline loaded LifePearl for the treatment of patients with unresectable HCC in a pooled analysis of studies with available more than 500 patient’s level data. Methods: We pooled patient level data from 5 single arm studies. Safety was assessed by close monitoring of adverse events according to CTCAE (v4.03). Tumor response was assessed, according to mRECIST and RECIST1.1 and analyzed as best overall response to account for differences in time of imaging follow-up between studies. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate event rates for time to event outcomes: progression free survival (PFS), time to unTACEable progression (TTUP) and overall survival (OS) censoring patients at time of surgery or transplantation. Results: Out of 586 patients, 85.5%, 13.5% and 1.0% were Child Pugh A, B and C, respectively. BCLC stages 0, A, B and C were 13.6%, 43.4%, 41.1% and 1.9% respectively. The mean number of HCC lesions was 2.1±1.5 and mean sum of tumor diameters was 49.3±32.9mm. In 19% of patients alpha-feto protein level was > 200ng/ml. A mean of 1.9±1.3 DEM-TACEs were performed per patient. A total of 197 events were reported including 2.6 % grade 4 and 1.5% grade 5, mostly related to post-embolization syndrome. Complete response, partial response and stable disease were 60.2%, 27.1% and 7.4% respectively providing an objective response and disease control rates of 87,3% and 94,7% respectively. 10% of patients were transplanted or resected. Median OS, PFS and TTUP is indicated in the table below. OS was 89.2%, 80.2% and 69.7% at 12, 18 and 24 months respectively. Conclusions: The treatment of patients with unresectable HCC with anthracycline loaded LifePearl showed good tolerance with acceptable toxicity and high tumor response rate that translated into promising PFS, TTUP and OS. [Table: see text]


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