High expression of protein phosphatase 2 regulatory subunit B'' alpha predicts poor outcome in hepatocellular carcinoma patients after liver transplantation

Table 1 Patient baseline and correlation between protein phosphatase 2 regulatory subunit B''α expression and clinicopathologic characteristics in hepatocellular carcinoma

Clinicopathological variable	Patients, n (%)	PPP2R3A expression levels		Statistical results
		< 4	≥ 4
Gender
Male	105 (97.2)	79 (73.1)	26 (24.1)	P = 0.195; X2 = 1.679
Female	3 (2.8)	3 (2.8)	0 (0)
Age (yr)
≤ 50	45 (41.7)	37 (34.2)	8 (7.4)	P = 0.255
> 50	63 (58.3)	45 (41.7)	18 (16.7)	X2 = 1.673
Preoperative treatment
No	59 (54.6)	47 (43.5)	12 (11.1)	P = 0.370
Yes	49 (45.4)	35 (32.4)	14 (13)	X2 = 0.993
AFP (ng/mL)
< 13	24 (22.2)	21 (19.4)	3 (2.8)	P = 0.0031; X2 = 11.513
13-1000	40 (37.0)	35 (32.4)	5 (4.6)
> 1000	44 (40.8)	26 (24.1)	18 (16.7)
HBeAg
Negative	72 (66.7)	56 (51.9)	16 (14.8)	P = 0.634
Positive	36 (33.3)	26 (24.1)	10 (9.2)	X2 = 0. 405
HBV-DNA (copy/mL)
≤ 1	75 (69.4)	57 (52.8)	18 (16.7)	P = 1.000
> 1	33 (30.6)	25 (23.1)	8 (7.4)	X2 = 0.001
MELD
< 15	85 (78.7)	65 (60.2)	20 (18.5)	P = 1.000
≥ 15	23 (21.3)	17 (15.7)	6 (5.6)	X2 = 0.065
Child-Pugh
A	65 (60.2)	52 (48.3)	13 (12.0)	P = 0.424; X2 = 3.952
B	27 (25.0)	17 (15.7)	10 (9.2)
C	16 (14.8)	13 (12.0)	3 (2.8)
Pathology
Well differentiation	5 (4.6)	5 (4.6)	0 (0)	P = 0.296
Moderate differentiation	98 (90.8)	74 (68.5)	24 (22.2)	X2 = 3.382
Poor differentiation	5 (4.6)	3 (2.8)	2 (1.9)
TNM-t
T1	46 (42.6)	38 (35.2)	8 (7.4)	P = 0.0001; X2 = 16.601
T2	21 (19.4)	21 (19.4)	0 (0)
T3	41 (38.0)	23 (21.3)	18 (16.7)
Length (cm)
≤ 3	31 (28.7)	24 (22.2)	7 (6.5)	P = 0.198; X2 = 3.294
4-5	38 (35.2)	32 (29.6)	6 (5.6)
≥ 6	39 (36.1)	26 (24.1)	13 (12.0)
Tumor number
1	36 (33.3)	30 (27.8)	6 (5.6)	P = 0.240
≥ 2	72 (66.7)	52 (48.1)	20 (18.5)	X2 = 1.621
Microsatellite stove
No	55 (50.9)	44 (40.7)	11 (10.2)	P = 0.371
Yes	53 (49.1)	38 (35.2)	15 (13.9)	X2 = 1.018
Envelope invasion
No	75 (69.4)	57 (52.8)	18 (16.7)	P = 0.0011
Yes	33 (30.6)	25 (23.1)	8 (7.4)	X2 = 1.000
Vascular invasion
No	69 (63.9)	53 (49.1)	16 (14.8)	P = 0.817
Yes	39 (36.1)	29 (26.9)	10 (9.2)	X2 = 0.082
Lymph node metastasis
No	92 (85.2)	72 (66.7)	20 (18.5)	P = 0.207
Yes	16 (14.8)	10 (9.2)	6 (5.6)	X2 = 1.707
Liver metastasis
No	67 (62.0)	55 (50.9)	12 (11.1)	P = 0.066
Yes	41 (38.0)	27 (25)	14 (13)	X2 = 3.668
Chest metastasis
No	75 (69.4)	61 (56.5)	14 (13)	P = 0.055
Yes	33 (30.6)	21 (19.4)	12 (11.1)	X2 = 3.927
Hepatitis B
No recurrence	102 (94.4)	78 (72.9)	24 (22.4)	P = 0.427
Recurrence	5 (4.6)	3 (2.8)	2 (1.9)	X2 = 0.632

¹Statistically significant. AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; HBeAg: Hepatitis B e antigen; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; MELD: Model for end-stage liver disease.

Table 2 Univariate analysis results of overall survival and tumor-free survival risk factors and patient characteristics

Variables	OS	RFS
	Univariate	Univariate
	P value	P value
PPP2R3A (< 4 vs ≥ 4)	0.0001	0.0251
Age (≤ 50 vs > 50)	0.122	0.213
Child-Pugh (≤ 6 vs 7-9 vs ≥ 10)	0.375	0.206
MELD (< 15 vs ≥ 15)	0.827	0.809
HBeAg (Negative vs Positive)	0.461	0.120
HBV-DNA (Negative vs Positive)	0.581	0.090
Pathology (Well vs Moderate vs Poor)	0.0471	< 0.051
Tumor number (1 vs > 1)	0.0001	0.0001
Tumor size (cm) (≤ 3 vs 4-5 vs ≥ 6)	0.0051	< 0.051
TNM-t (1 vs 2 vs 3)	0.0001	< 0.051
Microsatellite stove (No vs Yes)	0.0001	0.0001
Vascular invasion (No vs Yes)	0.011	0.0001
Lymph node metastasis (No vs Yes)	0.671	0.885
Capsule invasion (No vs Yes)	0.102	0.0051
Liver metastasis (No vs Yes)	0.124	0.0011
Chest metastasis (No vs Yes)	0.0011	0.0001
AFP (ng/mL) (< 13 vs 13-1000 vs > 1000)	0.0001	0.0001
Preoperative treatment (No vs Yes)	0.685	0.604

¹Statistically significant. OS: Overall survival; RFS: Recurrence-free survival; PPP2R3A: Protein phosphatase 2 regulatory subunit B''α; HBeAg: Hepatitis B e antigen; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; TNM: Tumor-node-metastasis; MELD: Model for end-stage liver disease.

Table 3 COX multivariate regression analysis results of overall survival in hepatocellular carcinoma patients after liver transplantation

Variables	B	SE	Wald	P value	OR	95%CI for Exp (B)
						Lower	Upper
Tumor size (≤ 3 cm vs ≥ 6 cm)	1.015	0.380	7.120	0.0081	2.760	1.309	5.816
Tumor number (1 vs ≥ 2)	1.549	0.415	13.946	0.0001	4.707	2.088	10.612
PPP2R3A (< 4 vs ≥ 4)	1.065	0.367	8.397	0.0041	2.900	1.411	5.960

¹Statistically significant. PPP2R3A: Protein phosphatase 2 regulatory subunit B''α.

Table 4 COX multivariate regression analysis results of tumor recurrence after liver transplantation in hepatocellular carcinoma patients

Variables	B	SE	Wald	P value	OR	95%CI for Exp (B)
						Lower	Upper
capsule invasion	0.633	0.285	4.941	0.0261	1.883	1.078	3.290
AFP (ng/mL) (< 13 vs > 1000)	1.145	0.376	9.263	0.0021	3.143	1.503	6.571
Tumor number (1 vs > 1)	1.340	0.354	14.358	0.0001	3.819	1.910	7.638
PPP2R3A			14.562	0.0241
PPP2R3A (6 vs 0)	-1.527	0.489	9.775	0.0021	0.217	0.083	0.566
PPP2R3A (6 vs 2)	-1.773	0.511	12.043	0.0011	0.170	0.062	0.462
PPP2R3A (6 vs 3)	-1.117	.515	4.714	0.0301	0.327	0.119	0.897
PPP2R3A (6 vs 4)	-1.141	0.487	5.489	0.0191	0.320	0.123	0.830
PPP2R3A (6 vs 5)	-0.630	0.697	0.817	0.366	0.532	0.136	2.088

¹Statistically significant. AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; PPP2R3A: Protein phosphatase 2 regulatory subunit B''α.