Ras-related protein Rab24 plays a predictive role in hepatocellular carcinoma and enhanced tumor proliferation

Table 1 Correlations between Rab24 protein expression and patients’ characteristics

Variables	Cases	Rab24 expression		P value
	n = 147	Low (n = 76)	High (n = 71)
Age, years				0.824
≤ 50	78	41	37
> 50	69	35	34
Sex				0.794
Feale	42	21	21
Male	105	55	50
HBV history				0.780
Negative	43	23	20
Positive	104	53	51
Serum AFP, ng/mL				0.181
≤ 400	60	35	25
> 400	87	41	46
Tumor number				0.005
1	114	66	48
≥ 2	33	10	23
Tumor size, cm				0.003
≤ 3.0	51	35	16
> 3.0	96	41	55
Child-Pugh class				0.406
A	90	50	40
B	48	21	27
C	9	5	4
BCLC stage				0.001
A	57	40	17
B	46	22	24
C	44	14	30
Microvascular invasion				0.035
Absent	107	61	46
Present	40	15	25
Resection margin, cm				0.959
≤ 1.0	68	35	33
> 1.0	79	41	38
Treatment				0.739
Surgery + chemotherapy	89	47	42
Surgery only	58	29	29

HBV: Hepatitis B virus; AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; BCLC: Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer.

Table 2 Overall survival of enrolled hepatocellular carcinoma patients

Variables	Cases	Overall survival months		P value
	n = 147	Median	mean ± SD
Age, years				0.153
≤ 50	78	39.0	38.0 ± 2.5
> 50	69	35.0	33.5 ± 3.1
Sex				0.297
Feale	42	47.0	38.9 ± 3.1
Male	105	34.0	34.3 ± 2.6
HBV history				0.874
Negative	43	35.0	35.5 ± 3.3
Positive	104	40.0	36.2 ± 2.5
Serum AFP, ng/mL				< 0.001
≤ 400	60	47.0	43.2 ± 2.6
> 400	87	22.0	27.7 ± 2.2
Tumor number				0.028
1	114	40.0	37.8 ± 2.3
≥ 2	33	31.0	27.5 ± 3.1
Tumor size, cm				0.002
≤ 3.0	51	48.0	43.4 ± 3.1
> 3.0	96	35.0	30.8 ± 2.3
Child-Pugh class				0.214
A	90	41.0	36.4 ± 2.2
B	48	39.0	37.1 ± 4.4
C	9	18.0	22.5 ± 5.6
BCLC stage				0.001
A	57	42.0	40.2 ± 2.7
B	46	40.0	36.6 ± 3.1
C	44	18.0	26.3 ± 4.0
Microvascular invasion				< 0.001
Absent	107	47.0	40.6 ± 2.2
Present	40	20.0	20.0 ± 2.4
Resection margin, cm				0.017
≤ 1.0	68	47.0	40.5 ± 2.5
> 1.0	79	23.0	31.2 ± 3.0
Treatment				0.003
Surgery + chemotherapy	89	42.0	39.3 ± 2.2
Surgery only	58	23.0	30.4 ± 3.6
Rab24 protein level				0.013
Low	76	47.0	40.3 ± 2.6
High	71	35.0	29.3 ± 2.3

HBV: Hepatitis B virus; AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; BCLC: Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer.

Table 3 Cox regression analysis for independent prognostic factors of hepatocellular carcinoma

Variables	HR	95%CI	P value
Serum AFP (> 400 ng/mL vs ≤ 400 ng/mL)	1.565	0.641-3.820	0.325
Tumor number (≥ 2 vs 1)	1.377	0.639-2.969	0.414
Tumor size (> 3.0 cm vs ≤ 3.0 cm)	1.048	0.558-1.967	0.884
BCLC stage (B-C vs A)	2.543	1.313-4.923	0.006
Microvascular invasion (present vs absent)	4.239	2.005-8.962	< 0.001
Resection margin (> 1.0 cm vs ≤ 1.0 cm)	2.439	1.318-4.514	0.005
Treatment (surgery vs surgery + chemotherapy)	2.950	1.646-5.286	< 0.001
Rab24 protein level (high vs low)	2.115	1.067-4.190	0.032

HR: Hazard ratio; AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; BCLC: Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer.