Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 expression affects clinicopathological features and prognosis of aflatoxin B1-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Figure 1 Effects of aflatoxin B1 exposure and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 expression on survival of patients with aflatoxin B1-related hepatocellular carcinoma. A and B: Effects of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) exposure on overall survival (OS) and tumor recurrence-free survival (RFS) of patients with AFB1-related hepatocellular carcinoma (AHCC). The level of AFB1 exposure was assessed using AFB1-DNA adducts in HCC cancerous tissues; C and D: Effects of TIMP3 expression on OS and RFS of patients with AHCC. The level of TIMP3 protein expression in AHCC tissues was tested by immunohistochemistry combined with the immunoreactive scoring system; E and F: Effects of AFB1 exposure combined with TIMP3 expression on OS and RFS of AHCC. Cumulative hazard function was plotted by the Kaplan-Meier method, and P value was calculated with two-sided log-rank tests. LAE: Low AFB1-exposure group; HAE: High AFB1-exposure group; LTE: Low TIMP3 expression; HTE: High TIMP3 expression; AETE1: Low aflatoxin B1 exposure plus high TIMP3 expression; AETE2: Low aflatoxin B1 exposure plus low TIMP3 expression; AETE3: High aflatoxin B1 exposure plus high TIMP3 expression; AETE4: High aflatoxin B1 exposure plus low TIMP3 expression.