Predicting early intrahepatic recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after microwave ablation using SELDI-TOF proteomic signature

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 13;8(12):e82448. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082448. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Background/aims: Despite great progress in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) over the last-decade, intrahepatic recurrence is still the most frequent serious adverse event after all the treatments including microwave ablation. This study aimed to predict early recurrence of HCC after microwave ablation using serum proteomic signature.

Methods: After curative microwave ablation of HCC, 86 patients were followed-up for 1 year. Serum samples were collected before microwave ablation. The mass spectra of proteins were generated using surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS). Serum samples from 50 patients were randomly selected as a training set and for biomarkers discovery and model development. The remaining serum samples were categorized for validation of the algorithm.

Results: According to preablation serum protein profiling obtained from the 50 HCC samples in the training set, nine significant differentially-expressed proteins were detected in the serum samples between recurrent and non-recurrent patients. Decision classification tree combined with three candidate proteins with m/z values of 7787, 6858 and 6646 was produced using Biomarker Patterns Software with sensitivity of 85.7% and specificity of 88.9% in the training set. When the SELDI marker pattern was tested with the blinded testing set, it yielded a sensitivity of 80.0%, a specificity of 88.5% and a positive predictive value of 86.1%.

Conclusions: Differentially-expressed protein peaks in preablation serum screened by SELDI are associated with prognosis of HCC. The decision classification tree is a potential tool in predicting early intrahepatic recurrence in HCC patients after microwave ablation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Blood Proteins / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / diagnosis
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / metabolism*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / therapy
  • Decision Trees
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Liver Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Liver Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Liver Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Liver Neoplasms / therapy
  • Male
  • Microwaves / therapeutic use
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
  • Odds Ratio
  • Prognosis
  • Proteomics* / methods
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
  • Tumor Burden

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Blood Proteins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Scientific Foundation Committee of China (grant numbers 30825010, 81071210). The URL of the funder's website is http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/Portal0/default152.htm. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.