Abstract
Background and Aim: Circulating microRNA (miR)-122 has recently been investigated as a potential biomarker of various hepatic diseases, such as chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the association between plasma miR-122 levels and the treatment outcomes following transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in HCC patients. Methods: We included 177 HCC patients treated with TACE in the study; TACE refractoriness and liver transplantation-free survival were evaluated during follow up. Pretreatment plasma miR-122 levels were assessed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Relative quantification of miR-122 expression (fold change) was determined using the 2(−ΔΔCt) method. MiR-16 was used as an internal control for the normalization of miRNA data. Results: During the mean follow up of 22.4 (range, 1–79) months, 112 (69.5%) patients exhibited TACE refractoriness. Multivariate analyses showed that tumor number (hazard ratio [HR], 2.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.43–4.41; P = 0.001) and tumor size (HR, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.62–4.32; P = 0.000) can independently predict overall TACE refractoriness. High miR-122 expression (> 100) was associated with early TACE refractoriness (within 1 year; HR, 2.77; 95% CI, 1.12–6.86; P = 0.028), together with tumor number (HR, 22.73; 95% CI, 2.74–188.66; P = 0.004) and tumor size (HR, 4.90; 95% CI, 1.99–12.06; P = 0.001). Univariate analyses showed that high miR-122 expression tends to be associated with poor liver transplantation-free survival (HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 0.95–2.11; P = 0.085). However, it was statistically insignificant in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: High expression levels of plasma miR-122 are associated with early TACE refractoriness in HCC patients treated with TACE.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 199-207 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Australia) |
Volume | 32 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2017 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- chemoembolization
- hepatocellular carcinoma
- microRNA-122
- survival
- treatment failure
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Gastroenterology
- Hepatology