title: γ-Glutamyltranspeptidase is a prognostic marker of survival and recurrence in radiofrequency-ablation treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Serum γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) level, which is often elevated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), has now been found to be an oxidative stress marker which correlates with inflammation in the extracellular hepatic microenvironment. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of GGT serum levels in patients undergoing radiofrequency ablation (RFA) therapy for the treatment of HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study included 254 patients with small liver cancer (tumor of ≤5 cm in diameter and nodule of ≤3 cm) who had been treated with RFA. Baseline serum GGT was examined before therapy, and overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival were evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to analyze the significance of GGT and other serum markers as prognostic factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After a median follow-up of 27 months, 51 patients had died and 123 had hepatic recurrence. After treatment with RFA, HCC patients with elevated GGT had a shorter OS versus those with normal GGT level (p = 0.001); they also had higher recurrence (p = 0.001). On multivariate analysis, albumin (p = 0.003), GGT (p = 0.035), and tumor size (p = 0.027) were independent risk factors for survival, and GGT (p = 0.010) and tumor size (p = 0.026) were significant risk factors for recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum GGT is a convenient prognostic biomarker related to OS and recurrence in HCC patients undergoing RFA treatment.
authors.affiliation: Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China, 06301010261@fudan.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Rongxin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Boheng
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ningling
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Yanhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yuhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.forename: Shenglong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Zhenggang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; C554782:gamma-glutamyltransferase, human