Basic Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2022.
World J Hepatol. Aug 27, 2022; 14(8): 1562-1575
Published online Aug 27, 2022. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v14.i8.1562
Table 1 Descriptive data of the studied hepatocellular carcinoma patients


HCC
N = 70
Demographic dataAge (yr) 62.0 ± 7.6
Gender (%)Female22 (31.4)
Male48 (68.6)
Smoker (%)No56 (80.0)
Yes14 (20.0)
DMNo52 (74.3)
(%) Yes18 (25.7)
BMI (kg/m2)27.7 (23.6- 31.9)
Laboratory investigationHb (g/dL)13.2 ± 1.9
WBC (× 103/µL)6.0 (4.6-8.0)
Platelets (× 103/µL)169.5 ± 77.9
ALT (U/mL)52.5 (32.0- 74.3)
AST (U/mL)60.5 (38.0- 83.3)
Alb (g/dL)3.7 ± 0.5
Bil.T (mg/dL)0.9 (0.6- 1.4)
AFP (ng/dL)38.8 (10.0- 370.0)
Creatinine (mg/dL)0.9 ± 0.2
BCLC (%)Early34 (48.6)
Intermediate23 (32.9)
Late13 (18.6)
Performance status (%)043 (61.4)
124 (34.3)
22 (2.9)
31 (1.4)
Child grade (%)A58 (82.9)
B11 (15.7)
C1 (1.4)
Child score5.8 ± 1.0
Number of HCCs (%)Single49 (70.0)
Two12 (17.1)
≥ 3 9 (12.9)
Site of HCC (%)Right lobe59 (84.3)
Left lobe7 (10.0)
Both lobes4 (5.7)
HCC size (cm)4.0 (2.7- 5.0)
Portal veinPatent65 (92.9)
(%)
Thrombosed5 (7.1)
Abdominal lymphadenopathyNo65 (92.9)
(%)Yes5 (7.1)
Decision of treatmentBest supportive care7 (10.0)
Combined therapy1 (1.4)
(%)Hepatectomy3 (4.3)
Microwave ablation20 (28.5)
Radioembolization3 (4.3)
Sorafinib3 (4.3)
TACE29 (41.4)
Response to treatment according to mRECIST (%)Stationary4 (7.8)
Partial response7 (13.7)
Complete response34 (66.7)
Progressive disease6 (11.8)
Clinical decompensation (%)Yes9 (12.9)
No61 (54.5)
Alive or dead (%)Dead34 (48.6)
Alive36 (51.4)
Survival (days)367.1 ± 173.9
miRNA-32635.0 (12.5- 162.3)
miRNA-5111.2 (0.3- 3.2)
miRNA-4245.1 (2.9- 10.3)
Table 2 Studied miRNA associations with different parameters in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

miRNA-326
miRNA-511
miRNA-424
Gender
Male 48 (68.6%)33.6 (11.3-157.4)1.1 (0.4-3.4)5.4 (3.2-10.4)
Females 22 (31.4%)42.3 (11.9-168.2)1.1 (0.4-3.4)4.4 (1.9-8.3)
P value0.70.80.3
Smoker
No 56 (80.0%)27.4 (8.4-159.0)1.1 (0.3-2.7)5.4 (2.9-10.6)
Yes 14 (20.0%)67.0 (28.0-177.0)1.2 (0.7-5.9)4.1 (2.7-7.0)
P value0.30.30.3
Diabetes mellitus
No 52 (74.3%)29.4 (9.1- 119.1)0.9 (0.3-2.5)4.6 (2.6-9.0)
Yes 18 (25.7%)70.4 (16.6- 218.4)1.5 (0.9-5.1)6.5 (4.1-13.7)
P value0.10.080.04a
Child grade
A 58 (82.9%)64.4 (15.3-177.0)1.2 (0.4-3.8)5.1 (3.0-10.3)
B 11 (15.7%)16.1 (4.1-110.7)0.9 (0.0-1.4)5.2 (2.6-11.9)
C 1 (1.4%)5.7 (5.7-5.7)0.03 (0.03-0.03)0.9 (0.9-0.9)
P value
B vs A
C vs A0.03a0.10.7
C vs B0.20.10.1
0.70.30.3
HCC stages
Early32.0 (7.5-121.0)1.0 (0.3-2.6)4.5 (2.3-8.0)
Intermediate69.8 (16.1-185.0)1.4 (0.6-4.6)5.3 (3.9-13.2)
Late26.2 (14.5-179.8)0.9 (0.1-2.9)5.9 (2.5-10.1)
P value
Intermediate vs Early0.20.10.04a
Late vs Early0.60.80.5
Late vs Intermediate0.70.20.6
Performance status
0; 43 (61.4%)64.4 (15.8-153.3)1.2 (0.5-3.5)5.7 (3.1-10.2)
1; 24 (34.3%)18.9 (7.1-184.5)0.6 (0.0-2.5)4.0 (1.5-10.4)
2; 2 (2.9%)7.2 (0.5-7.8)3.1 (0.4-3.5)5.3 (4.8-5.5)
3; 1 (1.4%)160.9 (160.9- 160.9)9.6 (9.6-9.6)22.0 (22.0-22.0)
P value0.20.20.2
Table 3 Studied miRNAs in healthy controls vs hepatocellular carcinoma

Controls
HCC patients
P value
N = 25N = 70
miRNA-3261.2 (0.3- 30.8)35.0 (12.5- 162.3)0.001b
miRNA-5112.1 (0.9- 7.7)1.2 (0.3- 3.2)0.02a
miRNA-4246.1 (0.7- 12.4)5.1 (2.9- 10.3)0.4
Table 4 Diagnostic performance of the studied miRNAs

Cut off
Sensitivity
Specificity
PPV
NPV
Accuracy
AUC
95%CI
P value
miRNA-326> 1.1650.9710.520.850.8670.8530.78467.7-89.1< 0.001b
miRNA-511< 2.0630.7140.60.8330.4290.6840.65453.1-77.70.01a
miRNA-424> 2.4620.8290.480.8170.50.7370.55940.4-71.50.4
Table 5 Survival analysis


Dead, N = 34
Median (95%CI)of the EstimatedSurvival Time
Log rank (Mantel-Cox)
P value
GenderFemale (%)9 (26.5)315.0 (134.4- 495.6)0.0940.8
Male (%)25 (73.5)441.0 (329.7- 552.3)
SmokerNo (%)29 (85.3)395.0 (299.9- 490.1)1.5950.2
Yes (%)5 (14.7)581.0 (336.4- 825.6)
DMNo (%)27 (79.4)413.0 (341.7- 484.3)0.2590.6
Yes (%)7 (20.6)429.0 (257.4- 600.6)
BCLC stagesEarly (%)12 (35.3)532.0 (401.2- 662.8)5.5940.05a
Intermediate (%)14 (41.2)393.0 (225.7- 560.3)
Late (%)8 (23.5)284.0 (196.6- 371.4)
Performance status0 (%)21 (61.8)395.0 (314.6 - 475.4)1.1880.6
1 (%)12 (35.3)516.0 (404.0- 628.0)
2 (%)1 (2.9)278.0 (278.0- 278.0)
30 (0.0)-
Child scoreA (%)26 (76.5)429.0 (316.6- 541.4)0.5740.8
B (%)7 (20.6)375.0 (241.9- 508.1)
C (%)1 (2.9)516.0 (516.0- 516.0)
Response to treatment mRECISTStationary4 (11.8%)284.0 (215.4- 352.6)2.90.4
Partial response1 (2.9%)412.0 (412.0- 412.0)
Complete response19 (55.9%)456.0 (346.7- 565.3)
Progressive disease5 (14.7%)128.0 (0.0- 285.2)
miRNA-326 >1.165441.0 (336.7- 545.3)17.10.001b
miRNA-511<2.063441.0 (329.5- 552.5)0.6260.4
miRNA-424>2.462395.0 (300.7- 489.3)2.7070.1
Table 6 Studied miRNA associations with response to treatment according to modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors
Response to treatment mRECIST
Stationary, n = 4 (5.7%)
Partial response, n = 7 (10.0%)
Complete response, n = 34 (48.6%)
Progressive disease, n = 6 (8.6%)
P value
miRNA-32611.5 (2.1- 142.6)31.1 (6.9- 209.4)27.4 (10.0- 155.2)69.6 (17.7- 197.9)0.5
miRNA-5113.8 (0.8- 10.5)1.2 (0.3- 4.2)1.0 (0.2- 1.5)0.6 (0.1- 1.3)0.05a
miRNA-4244.9 (3.0- 8.6)4.8 (2.1- 5.1)5.4 (2.6- 13.1)4.6 (3.1- 15.2)0.8