Exploring the Role of Circulating Metabolic Biomarkers in the Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Investigating the Impact of Blood-Based Metabolic Biomarkers on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk

Metabolic disorders are increasingly acknowledged as significant contributors to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

However, data on the role of metabolic-related biomarkers in influencing HCC risk remains limited. This study seeks to investigate the relationship between blood-based biomarkers associated with metabolic pathways and the risk of an HCC diagnosis.

Study Overview: HCC Patient Enrollment and Control Selection

Between 2001 and 2014, newly diagnosed HCC patients were enrolled in an ongoing IRB-approved study at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Control participants were selected from healthy spouses of patients diagnosed with cancers other than liver or gastrointestinal cancers.

Blood samples, collected at diagnosis or enrollment, were sent to Myriad RBM, Inc. for analysis of 10 metabolic-related biomarkers.

Participants were categorized into low, moderate, and high biomarker levels based on the tertiles among the control group.

Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated through multivariable unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for relevant confounders.

P-values were adjusted for multiple testing using the Benjamini-Hochberg method, with a false discovery rate set at 0.25.

Emphasizing the Synergistic Role of Prolactin and Resistin

A study analyzed 378 nonviral hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases and 200 healthy controls, revealing a mean age of 64.96 years for cases and 60.17 years for controls, with the majority being white (76.8%).

The analysis focused on the odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CIs) of various metabolic-related biomarkers in relation to HCC risk.

Significant associations were found between ten biomarkers and HCC diagnosis, particularly highlighting that elevated levels of prolactin and resistin notably increased HCC risk.

Specifically, patients with high prolactin levels exhibited a 5.93-fold increase in HCC risk compared to those with low levels.

Additionally, a synergistic effect was observed between prolactin and resistin, influenced by the presence or absence of diabetes mellitus.

Key Insight

Prolactin and resistin emerged as significant and independent metabolic-related biomarkers associated

with an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

These findings underscore the potential of these plasma biomarkers in predicting HCC risk, especially in

patients without viral hepatitis infection.

They also provide new insights into the role of inflammation in HCC development mediated by metabolic pathways.

By - Eeshan Aggarwal

Reference: Hepatology. Volume 80, Issue S1. Abstract Supplement for The Liver Meeting by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), November 15-19, 2024, San Diego, CA.