Correlation of Serum Chemokine Ligand 14 with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Stage, Lymphocyte Profile, and Response to Transarterial Chemoembolization in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical relevance of serum chemokine ligand 14 (sCCL14) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the effect of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) on the expression level of sCCL14 and the immune microenvironment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective single-center observational study, 52 patients with HCC were recruited from January 2019 to December 2021, their clinical data and blood samples were collected, and the relationship between sCCL14 and progression-free survival (PFS) and TACE treatment response was analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 52 patients with HCC (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer [BCLC] Stage A, 25.0%; BCLC Stage B, 44.2%; and BCLC Stage C, 30.8%), patients with BCLC Stage C HCC had significantly lower sCCL14 levels than those of patients with BCLC Stages A and B HCC (P = .001). sCCL14 levels were significantly higher in the first week after treatment than before TACE treatment (P = .024). Baseline sCCL14 levels in patients who showed complete response after TACE treatment were significantly higher than those in other groups, and lower baseline sCCL14 values were associated with shorter PFS times. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that sCCL14 level (hazard ratio, 1.855; 95% CI, 1.039-3.311; P = .037) was an independent prognostic factor of PFS. sCCL14 levels negatively correlated with the proportion of B lymphocytes and regulatory T cells in circulating blood and positively correlated with the absolute T-lymphocyte count. CONCLUSIONS: sCCL14 may be a predictive biomarker of TACE effectiveness. Further studies are needed to validate and outline the role of combination immunotherapy.

Proteoglycan-4 predicts good prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma receiving transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and inhibits cancer cell migration in vitro.

Purpose: To search for adaptive response molecules that affect the efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), analyze their clinical correlation with and prognostic value for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and explore their impact on cell biological behavior and their mechanisms of action. Methods: HCC tissue gene sequencing was used to identify differentially expressed genes. The expression of proteoglycan 4 (PRG4) in the serum of 117 patients with HCC who received TACE was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum-free medium mimicked TACE-induced nutrient deprivation. Cells with stable knockdown of PRG4 (shPRG4) were constructed to verify the effect and mechanism of PRG4 on the biological behavior of HCC cells in vitro. Results: The expression of PRG4 was significantly elevated under TACE-induced starvation conditions. Low PRG4 expression was associated with worse response to TACE treatment, shorter survival time, and stronger HCC migration ability. Furthermore, in vitro experiments showed that knockdown of PRG4 promoted HCC cell migration by enhancing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) while did not affect proliferation. When PRG4 expression was low, starvation treatment impaired the migratory ability of HCC cells and reduced the chemosensitivity of HCC cells to epirubicin. Conclusions: PRG4 expression predicts survival and TACE treatment response in patients with HCC. Furthermore, knockdown of PRG4 enhanced EMT, leading to HCC cell migration. PRG4 may serve as a biomarker for HCC patients receiving TACE.

[Mandibular secretory carcinoma: a case report].

Secretory carcinoma, a low-grade malignant tumor, occurs mainly in parotid, submandibular gland, and small salivary glands in the mouth. It has not yet been reported in the mandible. Now we report a case occurred in the right mandibular angle of secretory carcinoma, accompanying with its diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.