A study on the correlation between longitudinal inflammatory biomarkers and postoperative prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM: To evaluate the prognostic significance of serial measurements of Galectin-3, heat shock protein 90α (HSP90α), and thymidine kinase 1 (TK1), individually and in combination, for predicting recurrence, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

This retrospective study included 122 patients who underwent radical resection for HCC and 122 healthy controls. Serum levels of Galectin-3, HSP90α, and TK1 were measured preoperatively and at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. Recurrence and survival were monitored over 2 years.

RESULTS

Preoperative levels of all three markers (Galectin-3, HSP90α, and TK1) were elevated in HCC patients compared to controls (p < 0.001). Marker levels declined postoperatively but rebounded at 3 and 6 months. Patients with high marker levels at 3 and 6 months had significantly shorter DFS and OS (p < 0.05). The combined signature showed superior predictive performance for poor prognosis, with AUCs of 0.899 and 0.954 at 3 and 6 months, respectively, outperforming any single marker.

CONCLUSION

Longitudinal monitoring of Galectin-3, HSP90α, and TK1, particularly at 3 and 6 months post- surgery, provides significant prognostic value for HCC patients. The combined assay offers a powerful tool for identifying patients at high risk of early recurrence.