Du YL, Shi CJ, Gao FY, Xie SJ, Zhang MN, Zhang ZQ, Qiu W, Ming Y. Prognostic value of serum aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 in hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastrointest Surg 2026; 18(5): 116672 [DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i5.116672]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Ying Ming, MM, Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, No. 36 Nanyingzi Street, Shuangqiao District, Chengde 067000, Hebei Province, China. 18503145756@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
research-article
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (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: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
Share the Article
Du YL, Shi CJ, Gao FY, Xie SJ, Zhang MN, Zhang ZQ, Qiu W, Ming Y. Prognostic value of serum aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 in hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastrointest Surg 2026; 18(5): 116672 [DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i5.116672]
World J Gastrointest Surg. May 27, 2026; 18(5): 116672 Published online May 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i5.116672
Prognostic value of serum aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 in hepatocellular carcinoma
Yun-Ling Du, Chang-Jiang Shi, Fang-Yuan Gao, Shou-Jun Xie, Meng-Na Zhang, Zhu-Qing Zhang, Wei Qiu, Ying Ming
Yun-Ling Du, Shou-Jun Xie, Meng-Na Zhang, Zhu-Qing Zhang, Wei Qiu, Ying Ming, Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde 067000, Hebei Province, China
Chang-Jiang Shi, Department of Joint Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde 067000, Hebei Province, China
Fang-Yuan Gao, Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100000, China
Author contributions: Du YL designed the research and wrote the first manuscript; Du YL, Shi CJ, Gao FY, Xie SJ, Zhang MN, Zhang ZQ and Qiu W contributed to conceiving the research and analyzing data; Du YL and Ming Y conducted the analysis and provided guidance for the research. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the Science and Technology Program of Chengde, No. 202109A064.
Institutional review board statement: The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University (Approval No. CYFYLL2021104).
Informed consent statement: Because this study used anonymized data, informed consent was not required.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Corresponding author: Ying Ming, MM, Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, No. 36 Nanyingzi Street, Shuangqiao District, Chengde 067000, Hebei Province, China. 18503145756@163.com
Received: January 13, 2026 Revised: February 4, 2026 Accepted: March 10, 2026 Published online: May 27, 2026 Processing time: 134 Days and 4.1 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence continues to rise, yet treatment options remain limited. Despite recent advances in early screening methods, most patients are still diagnosed at an advanced stage with poor prognosis. Therefore, accurate assessment of prognostic risk using molecular biomarkers is essential for the development of personalized treatment strategies.
AIM
To investigate the correlation between serum aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10) levels and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis in patients with HCC, and to evaluate the potential clinical value of AKR1B10 as a prognostic biomarker.
METHODS
A total of 102 patients with HCC admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University between May 2020 and May 2024 were enrolled as study subjects. Complete clinical data and survival follow-up information were collected. Based on the optimal cutoff value for serum AKR1B10 levels in diagnosing HCC (1584.97 pg/mL), determined using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, patients were divided into a high-level group (≥ 1584.97 pg/mL, n = 75) and a low-level group (< 1584.97 pg/mL, n = 27). AKR1B10 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In 41 patients who underwent surgical resection, serum AKR1B10 levels were measured preoperatively and at 1-2 days and 3-4 days postoperatively. The χ2 test or Fisher’s exact test was used to compare categorical data between the two groups. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, with intergroup comparisons performed using the log-rank test. Cox univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to identify independent prognostic factors, and the Friedman test was used to compare serum AKR1B10 levels at different postoperative time points.
RESULTS
Significant differences were observed between the AKR1B10 high-level and low-level groups in tumor size (χ2 = 3.999, P < 0.05), ascites (χ2 = 3.902, P < 0.05), and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage (χ2 = 3.987, P < 0.05). The median survival was 17.0 months in the high-level group, significantly shorter than that in the low-level group (32.0 months; χ2 = 6.172, P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that serum AKR1B10 level (hazard ratio = 1.819, 95% confidence interval: 1.009-3.280, P < 0.05) and ascites (hazard ratio =1.810, 95% confidence interval: 1.017-3.223, P < 0.05) were independent factors influencing survival in patients with HCC. Additionally, serum AKR1B10 levels were significantly decreased at 1-2 days postoperatively in the 41 patients who underwent surgery, with a continued downward trend at 3-4 days postoperatively (χ2 = 82.000, P < 0.01).
CONCLUSION
Serum AKR1B10 is an independent risk factor for prognosis in HCC, and high AKR1B10 levels are associated with unfavorable survival outcomes, indicating its potential value as a biomarker for prognostic risk assessment in patients with HCC.
Core Tip: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite recent improvements in diagnostic approaches and surgical techniques, the five-year survival rate for patients with advanced HCC remains low, largely due to the absence of early clinical symptoms and the lack of reliable diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Over the past decade, aldo-keto reductase family 1 member 10 has emerged as a potential biomarker for both the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between serum aldo-keto reductase family 1 member 10 levels and prognosis in patients with HCC, evaluate its clinical value as a prognostic indicator, and provide a theoretical basis and research direction for individualized treatment strategies.
