Preoperative human-telomerase reverse transcriptase mRNA in peripheral blood and tumor recurrence in living-related liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma
Sato, Y.; Yamamoto, S.; Oya, H.; Nakatsuka, H.; Kobayashi, T.; Takeishi, T.; Hirano, K.; Hara, Y.; Watanabe, T.; Waguri, N.; Suda, T.; Ichida, T.; Aoyagi, Y.; Hatakeyama, K.
Hepato-Gastroenterology 52(65): 1325-1328
2005
ISSN/ISBN: 0172-6390 PMID: 16201066 Document Number: 590454
Background/Aims: In this study we evaluated the potential role of preoperative h-TERT mRNA expression in peripheral blood as a tool for predicting prognosis and tumor recurrence after living-related liver donor transplantation (LRLDT).Methodology: The study included patients with unresectable HCC who underwent LRLDT from July 1999 to May 2003.Results: There was no significant difference between the survival curves of those patients who met the Milan criteria and those who did not. However, there was a statistically significant difference (p=0.032) between the survival curves of those patients with positive preoperative h-TERT mRNA expression, and those who either had an initially negative preoperative h-TERT mRNA or who converted from positive to negative after neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy.Conclusions: In conclusion, the presence or absence of h-TERT mRNA in the peripheral blood may be a useful criterion in evaluating HCC patients for transplantation, as well as a valuable method of assessing anti-tumor therapy and tumor relapse.