001; 73% and 37% versus 90% and 80% in 1- and 3-year survival rates, respectively; P < 0.001) (Fig. selleck chemical 2C,D). Of the

10 patients with BCLC stage 0, one of the three patients with AAH overexpression and one of the seven patients with AAH underexpression recurred 28.3 and 30.6 months after surgery, respectively. All 10 patients survived until the last follow-up. We excluded two patients with multifocal tumors (no more than three nodules measuring ≤3 cm) from the stage A population; the remaining 164 patients with a single nodule were stratified into two subgroups according to tumor size, using 5 cm as the cutoff value. Patients with a tumor >5 cm in diameter (n = 105) had a poorer prognosis than those with a tumor ≤5 cm in diameter (n = 59) (TTR, 12.2 ± 1.4 months versus 43.4 ± 2.7 months, respectively; 1- and 3- year survival rates, 67% and 41% versus 98% and 71%, respectively; P < 0.001 for both). Furthermore, the impact of AAH expression level on the prognosis in two subgroups

was examined, respectively. The results are shown in Fig. 4. In the ≤5 cm subgroup, the TTR was 26.7 ± 1.6 months in AAH overexpression patients, and the 1- and 3-year survival rates were 97% and 52%, respectively; in AAH underexpression patients, the TTR was 51.9 ± 2.8 months, and the 1- and 3-year survival rates were 100% and 90%, respectively Opaganib cost (P < 0.001

for both). Similar results were obtained in the >5 cm subgroup: the TTR was 10.3 ± 1.4 months versus 32.4 ± 3.9 months in overexpressing and underexpressing patients, respectively, and 1- and 3-year survival rates were 62% and 29% versus 78% and 65%, respectively (P < 0.001, P = 0.002). Thus, patients whose tumors expressed high levels of AAH might have significantly shorter TTR and survival than those expressing low levels of this molecule in either the ≤5 medchemexpress cm or >5 cm subgroup. Of the 33 BCLC stage B patients, the prognosis of patients with AAH overexpression (n = 26) was also poorer than those with AAH underexpression (n = 7) (1- and 3-year cumulative recurrence rates, 80% and 92% versus 43% and 71%, respectively, P = 0.397 [Fig. 2E]; 1- and 3-year survival rates, 26% and 10% versus 57% and 29%, respectively, P = 0.261 [Fig. 2F]), although the comparison did not show statistical significance. There was also no statistical association of AAH expression level with prognosis in stage C patients (P = 0.355, P = 0.822) (Fig. 2G,H). In the present study, we showed that AAH expression was increased at both mRNA and protein levels in HCC, and was associated with malignant clinico-pathological characteristics. The correlation between AAH expression level and surgical outcomes was further investigated in a prospective study of 233 HCC patients.