Retrospective Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Surg. Sep 27, 2024; 16(9): 2934-2941
Published online Sep 27, 2024. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v16.i9.2934
Diagnostic value of serum vascular endothelial growth factor and interleukin-17 in primary hepatocellular carcinoma
Qi Tian, Hui Zeng, Qi-Quan Lu, Hai-Ying Xie, Yong Li
Qi Tian, Qi-Quan Lu, Hai-Ying Xie, Clinical Laboratory, Hanyang Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology/Wuhan Hanyang Hospital, Wuhan 430050, Hubei Province, China
Hui Zeng, Clinical Laboratory, Wuhan Seventh Hospital, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
Yong Li, Department of Oncology Hematology, Hanyang Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430050, Hubei Province, China
Author contributions: Tian Q contributed to the conception and design; Tian Q, Zeng H and Xie HY contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data; Tian Q and Li Y contributed to the writing, review, and/or revision of the manuscript; all authors contributed to the acquisition of data (acquired and managed patients) and final approved the manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Ethic Committee of Hanyang Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology.
Informed consent statement: As the study used anonymous and pre-existing data, the requirement for the informed consent from patients was waived.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Yong Li, MMed, Doctor, Department of Oncology Hematology, Hanyang Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, No. 53 Mohu Road, Hanyang District, Wuhan 430050, Hubei Province, China. yongliandy@163.com
Received: July 24, 2024
Revised: August 20, 2024
Accepted: August 21, 2024
Published online: September 27, 2024
Processing time: 56 Days and 0.4 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Despite significant advancements in the medical treatment of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) in recent years, enhancing therapeutic effects and improving prognosis remain substantial challenges worldwide.

AIM

To investigate the expression levels of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin (IL)-17 in patients with PHC and evaluate their diagnostic value while exploring their relationship with patients’ clinical characteristics.

METHODS

The study included 50 patients with confirmed PHC who visited Wuhan Hanyang Hospital from January 2021 to January 2022, and 50 healthy individuals from the same period served as the control group. Serum VEGF and IL-17 levels in both groups were measured by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, and their diagnostic value was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationship between serum VEGF and IL-17 levels. Pathological data of the PHC patients were analyzed to determine the relationship between serum VEGF and IL-17 levels and pathological characteristics.

RESULTS

Serum VEGF and IL-17 levels were significantly higher in the study group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). No significant association was observed between serum VEGF and IL-17 levels and gender, age, combined cirrhosis, tumor diameter, or degree of differentiation (P > 0.05). However, there was a significant relationship between clinical TNM stage, tumor metastasis, and serum VEGF and IL-17 levels (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between serum VEGF and IL-17 (P < 0.05). ROC analysis demonstrated that both serum VEGF and IL-17 had good diagnostic efficacy for PHC.

CONCLUSION

Serum VEGF and IL-17 levels were significantly higher in PHC patients compared to healthy individuals. Their levels were closely related to pathological features such as tumor metastasis and clinical TNM stage, and there was a significant positive correlation between VEGF and IL-17. These biomarkers may serve as valuable reference indicators for the early diagnosis and treatment guidance of PHC.

Keywords: Primary liver cancer; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Interleukin-17; Serum level; Diagnostic value; Correlation

Core Tip: The incidence and mortality rates of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) have been increasing. Despite significant advancements in medical care, improving treatment outcomes and prognosis for liver cancer remains a global challenge. This study measured the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin (IL)-17 in the serum of PHC patients using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, with healthy individuals as controls. This study aimed to assess changes in serum VEGF and IL-17 levels and evaluate their diagnostic efficacy for PHC while exploring their correlations with patients’ clinicopathological characteristics. Our findings confirm that VEGF and IL-17 can serve as valuable reference indicators for the early diagnosis and treatment guidance of PHC, offering crucial insights for enhancing early management strategies.