Background and aimsTotal bile acid (TBA) is associated with portal hypertension, a risk factor for post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF). We conducted this study to clarify whether TBA is also associated with PHLF in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MethodsWe recruited patients with HCC and Child-Pugh class A, who underwent liver resection, and applied multivariate analyses to identify risk factors for PHLF. ResultsWe analyzed data from 154 patients. The prevalence of PHLF was 14.3%. The median maximum tumor diameter was 5.1 cm (2.9–6.9 cm). The proportions of patients with elevated TBA levels (P = 0.001), severe albumin-bilirubin (AIBL) grades (P = 0.033), and low platelet counts (P = 0.031) were significantly higher within the subgroup of patients with PHLF than in the subgroup without PHLF. The multivariate analysis results suggest that TBA level (OR, 1.08; 951.03–1.14; P = 0.003) and MRI tumor diameter (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.01–1.35; P = 0.038) are independent preoperative risk factors for PHLF. The TBA levels correlated with the indocyanine green retention rate at 15 minutes (P = 0.001) and the effective hepatic blood flow (P < 0.001), two markers of portal hypertension. However, TBA levels did not correlate with tumor diameter (P = 0.536). ConclusionsCompared to ICG R15 and AIBL score, preoperative TBA was risk factor for PHLF in Chinese patients with HCC, and it may impact PHLF through its potential role as a marker of portal hypertension.
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