New predictive markers for risk of HCC in cirrhotic chronic hepatitis B

Key clinical point: Serum Prothrombin Induced by Vitamin K Absence or Antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) and alpha-fetoprotein were significant predictors of hepatocellular carcionoma and death in patients with chronic hepatitis B-related cirrhosis.

Major finding: Alpha-fetoprotein levels greater than 7 ng/mL (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.84, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.73–4.67) and PIVKA-II levels greater than 50 mAU/mL at virological remission significantly predicted the development of HCC (hazard ratios 2.84 and 2.46, respectively).

Study details: The data come from 293 adults with chronic hepatitis B-related cirrhosis; after an average follow-up of 78 months, 76 patient developed HCC and 19 died.

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Disclosures: The study was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, National Taiwan University Hospital, and the Liver Disease Prevention & Treatment Research Foundation, Taiwan. Lead author Dr. Su disclosed research grant from Gilead Sciences, and serving on speaker's bureaus for AbbVie, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead Sciences, Merck Sharp and Dohme, and Takeda.

Source: Su T-H et al. J Formos Med Assoc. 2021 Aug 24. doi: 10.1016/j.jfma.2021.08.003.