title: Impact of Steatosis on Prognosis of Patients with Early-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Hepatic Resection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is still unclear whether steatosis determines the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to compare the clinical manifestations and outcomes between early-stage HCC patients with and without steatosis after hepatic resection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 188 patients who underwent hepatic resection for HCC within the Milan criteria. After surgery, fibrosis, steatosis, lobular inflammation, portal inflammation, and ballooning in the background liver were assessed. Factors related to prognosis after surgery were analyzed by multivariate analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-four patients (39.4 %) had steatosis. Patients with steatosis had larger body mass index, higher fasting glucose levels, and higher rates of ballooning than those without steatosis. After a median follow-up period of 69.8 months, 73 patients died. The cumulative survival rates at 5 years were 57.8 and 75.6 % for patients with and without steatosis, respectively (p = 0.008). Multivariate analysis disclosed that an age of > 65 years [hazard ratio (HR) 1.996, p = 0.009], platelet count of <10(5)/mm(3) (HR 2.198, p = 0.005), indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min of >10 % (HR 2.037, p = 0.022), multinodularity (HR 2.389, p = 0.004), and steatosis (HR 1.773, p = 0.023) were independent risk factors associated with poor overall survival after resection. The impact of steatosis on postsurgical prognosis was more apparent in patients without cirrhosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of steatosis in the background liver was associated with a poor prognosis in early-stage HCC patients after hepatic resection, especially for noncirrhotic patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Gar-Yang
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Chau
authors.forename: Hung-Hsu
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Yi-Chen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Hao-Jan
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Cheng-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hsia
authors.forename: Chiung-Ru
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Han-Chieh
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jaw-Ching
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate