A Blood Hepatocellular Carcinoma Signature Recognizes Very Small Tumor Nodules with Metastatic Traits  

作　　者：Kun Chen Junxiao Wang Liping Jiang Fei Zhao Ruochan Zhang Zhiyuan Wu Dongmei Wang Yuchen Jiao Hui Xie Chunfeng Qu 

机构地区：[1]State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology,Department of Immunology,National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College,Beijing,China [2]Senior Department of Oncology,Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital,Beijing,China [3]Aerospace Medical Center/Aerospace Center Hospital,Peking University Aerospace Clinical College,Beijing,China [4]State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology,National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College,Beijing,China

出　　处：《Journal of Clinical and Translational Hepatology》2024年第6期551-561,共11页临床与转化肝病杂志（英文版）

基　　金：funded by CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences(CIFMS,2021-I2M-1-066 to CQ);Open Funding of the State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology(SKLMOKF2021-06 to HX).

摘　　要：Background and Aims:Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)cases with small nodules are commonly treated with radi-ofrequency ablation(RFA),but the recurrence rate remains high.This study aimed to establish a blood signature for identifying HCC with metastatic traits pre-RFA.Methods:Data from HCC patients treated between 2010 and 2017 were retrospectively collected.A blood signature for meta-static HCC was established based on blood levels of alpha-fetoprotein and des-γ-carboxy-prothrombin,cell-free DNA(cfDNA)mutations,and methylation changes in target genes in frozen-stored plasma samples that were collected before RFA performance.The HCC blood signature was validated in patients prospectively enrolled in2021.Results:Of 251 HCC patients in the retrospective study,33.9% experienced recurrence within 1 year post-RFA.The HCC blood signature identified from these patients included des-γ-carboxy-prothrombin≥40mAU/mL with cfDNA mutation score,where cfDNA mutations occurred in the genes of TP53,CTNNB1,and TERT promoter.This signature effectively predicted 1-year post-RFArecurrence of HCC with 92% specificity and 91% sensitivity in the retrospective dataset,and with 87% specificity and 76% sensitivity in the prospective dataset(n=32 patients).Among 14 cases in the prospective study with biopsy tissues available,positivity for the HCC blood signature was associated with a higher HCC tissue score and shorter distance between HCC cells and microvasculature.Conclusions:This study established an HCC blood signature in pre-RFA blood that potentially reflects HCC with metastatic traits and may be valuable for predicting the disease’s early recurrence post-RFA.

关 键 词：Liquid biopsy Liver dysplastic nodules Radiofrequency ablation Hepatocellular carcinoma Recurrence prediction Metastatic nodules 

分 类 号：R735.7[医药卫生—肿瘤]