Abstract
Fibronectin, a matrix glycoprotein aberrantly expressed in various tumor cells, is a known candidate biomarker for the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we investigated whether serum fibronectin levels could predict tumor recurrence in patients with early-stage HCC after curative treatment. A total of 83 patients who showed complete response after initial curative treatment were included. The levels of serum fibronectin at baseline and 4–6 weeks after initial treatment were analyzed with regard to their associations with recurrence. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to construct a prognostic nomogram. Baseline fibronectin levels were not significantly correlated with tumor size, number, stage, and serum α-fetoprotein levels. However, decrease in serum fibronectin levels after treatment was significantly associated with reduced HCC recurrence in multivariate logistic regression (odds ratio, 0.009; p < 0.001). Furthermore, a nomogram consisting of gender and changes in serum fibronectin showed a good discriminatory capability for the prediction of HCC recurrence with an area under the receiver-operating curve of 0.87. In conclusion, changes in serum fibronectin levels may be a surrogate indicator for assessment of treatment response in patients with early HCC after curative treatment.
Highlights
Fibronectin, a matrix glycoprotein aberrantly expressed in various tumor cells, is a known candidate biomarker for the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
Serum fibronectin levels decreased after treatment in patients with early-stage HCC who showed 6-month disease-free status after curative treatment, suggesting that levels of fibronectin might serve as a potential predictive biomarker for HCC
The present study aimed to evaluate whether changes in serum fibronectin levels could predict prognosis of patients with earlystage HCC according to different risks of disease recurrence after curative-intent treatment
Summary
Fibronectin, a matrix glycoprotein aberrantly expressed in various tumor cells, is a known candidate biomarker for the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated whether serum fibronectin levels could predict tumor recurrence in patients with early-stage HCC after curative treatment. Decrease in serum fibronectin levels after treatment was significantly associated with reduced HCC recurrence in multivariate logistic regression (odds ratio, 0.009; p < 0.001). Serum fibronectin levels decreased after treatment in patients with early-stage HCC who showed 6-month disease-free status after curative treatment, suggesting that levels of fibronectin might serve as a potential predictive (prediction of short-term therapeutic response) biomarker for HCC. The present study aimed to evaluate whether changes in serum fibronectin levels could predict prognosis of patients with earlystage HCC according to different risks of disease recurrence after curative-intent treatment
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