title: Diagnostic value of serum B7-H4 for hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have suggested the abnormal expression of soluble B7-H4 (sB7-H4) in circulation in cancer patients. The aim of present study was to examine the sB7-H4 expression in serum and to investigate the correlations between sB7-H4 levels and clinicopathologic parameters as well as the survival rate of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Circulating sB7-H4 levels in blood specimens from 93 patients with HCC and 55 healthy volunteers were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The association of sB7-H4 levels with clinicopathologic factors, overall survival (OS), and time to recurrence were statistically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  sB7-H4 levels in HCC patients were significantly higher than that in healthy controls (49.12 ± 3.10 versus 31.66 ± 2.59 ng/mL, P < 0.001). High sB7-H4 levels were correlated with tumor size (P = 0.007), tumor invasion (P = 0.037), tumor differentiation (P = 0.044) and tumor-node metastasis stage (P < 0.001). In addition, high sB7-H4 levels were significantly related to poor OS and higher recurrence probability (P = 0.002, P = 0.014, respectively). High sB7-H4 levels were independent prognostic factors for both OS (hazard ratio = 2.497; 95% confidence interval, 1.133-3.789; P = 0.009) and time to recurrence (hazard ratio = 2.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.247-4.179; P = 0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Detection of sB7-H4 in serum might serve as a clinical predictor in the diagnosis or prediction of clinical outcomes for the patients with HCC.
authors.affiliation: Medicine School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P.R. China. Electronic address: yimli001@163.com.
authors.forename: Yiming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Central Hospital of Xianyang, Xianyang, Shaanxi, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D060907:V-Set Domain-Containing T-Cell Activation Inhibitor 1 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D060907:V-Set Domain-Containing T-Cell Activation Inhibitor 1; C475826:VTCN1 protein, human
keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Prognosis; Soluble B7-H4; Tumor progression