title: Expression of keratin 19 is related to high recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after radiofrequency ablation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Keratin (K) 19 positivity has been reported to be a useful predictive marker for recurrence in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have undergone hepatic resection. We investigated the clinical usefulness of K19 positivity in patients who had received curative radiofrequency ablation (RFA).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated the clinicopathological features, including imaging and K19 expression, in 246 patients with HCC who were within the Milan criteria and had received curative RFA. Using a two-step insertion method, tumor biopsies were obtained just prior to RFA and were evaluated histologically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tumor seeding due to liver biopsy and RFA was not observed. Ten patients (4.1%) had K19-positive HCC. Imaging findings were similar between K19-positive and -negative HCC (p = 0.187). Nine out of 10 patients (90%) who had K19-positive HCC had recurrence of HCC after RFA, and intrahepatic recurrences were observed within 12 months in 6 out of 10 (60.0%). K19 positivity was a significant risk factor for recurrence (p < 0.0001) and early recurrence (<1 year after RFA; p =0.012). K19 expression (p = 0.016) was an independent risk factor for tumor status exceeding the Milan criteria after RFA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expression of K19 is related to high recurrence of HCC after curative RFA.
authors: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Kaoru
authors: K
authors: Tsuchiya
authors: Mina
authors: M
authors: Komuta
authors: Yutaka
authors: Y
authors: Yasui
authors: Nobuharu
authors: N
authors: Tamaki
authors: Takanori
authors: T
authors: Hosokawa
authors: Ken
authors: K
authors: Ueda
authors: Teiji
authors: T
authors: Kuzuya
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Itakura
authors: Hiroyuki
authors: H
authors: Nakanishi
authors: Yuka
authors: Y
authors: Takahashi
authors: Masayuki
authors: M
authors: Kurosaki
authors: Yasuhiro
authors: Y
authors: Asahina
authors: Nobuyuki
authors: N
authors: Enomoto
authors: Michiie
authors: M
authors: Sakamoto
authors: Namiki
authors: N
authors: Izumi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D053539:Keratin-19 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D053539:Keratin-19; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D001663:Bilirubin