AUTHOR=Xia Wei-Li , Xu Shi-Jun , Guo Yuan , Zhao Xiao-Hui , Hu Hong-Tao , Zhao Yan , Yao Quan-Jun , Zheng Lin , Zhang Dong-Yang , Guo Chen-Yang , Fan Wei-Jun , Li Hai-Liang 

TITLE=Plasma arginase-1 as a predictive marker for early transarterial chemoembolization refractoriness in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2022.1014653

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2022.1014653

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=Objective: To explore the relationship between plasma arginase-1 (ARG1) and early transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) refractoriness in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and develop nomograms for predicting early TACE refractoriness.
Methods: A total of 200 patients with HCC, treated with TACE, were included in the study, including 120 in the training set and 80 in the validation set. Pre-treatment enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detected the patients’ plasma ARG1 levels, and independent predictors of early TACE refractoriness were determined using a multivariate logistic regression model, based on which a predictive model was presented using a nomogram.
Results: Risk of early TACE refractoriness was negatively correlated with plasma ARG1 levels, and multivariate logistic analysis showed tumour size(OR = 1.138, 95% CI = 1.006-1.288, P = 0.041), multiple tumors (OR=4.374, 95% CI = 1.189-16.089, P = 0.026), platelet count(OR = 0.990, 95% CI = 0.980-0.999, P = 0.036) , and plasma ARG1 levels (OR = 0.209, 95% CI = 0.079-0.551, P = 0.002) to be independent prognostic factors for early TACE refractoriness.The AUC value for nomogram of the training cohort was 0.786 (95% CI = 0.702–0.870), the validation set data AUC value is 0.833 (95% CI = 0.791-0.875).The decision curve analysis (DCA) suggested that the nomogram had good clinical utility.
Conclusion: High plasma ARG1 expression was associated with a lower incidence of early TACE resistance. The nomogram constructed based on four independent prognostic factors could realise individualised prediction of the incidence of early TACE refractoriness.