Is the vascular endothelial growth factor messenger RNA expression in resectable hepatocellular carcinoma of prognostic value after resection ?

Table 1 Demographic, clinical and tumor variables of patients with HCC undergoing curative resection (n = 50)

Variables	No. of patients (%)
Age (mean, years)	56.2 ± 13
Male	31 (62)
Cirrhosis	40 (80)
Child- Pugh’s class A	43 (86)
Serum AFP < 20 ng/mL	16 (32)
20-103 ng/mL	18 (36)
> 103 ng/mL	14 (28)
HBsAg (+)	36 (72)
Anti-HCV (+)	13 (26)
Size of HCC < 3 cm	12 (24)
3-10 cm	13 (26)
> 10 cm	25 (50)
Edmondson-Steiner’s Grade I	4 (8)
Grade II	12 (24)
Grade III	18 (36)
Grade IV	16 (32)
Absent or incomplete capsule	31 (62)
Vascular permeation	29 (58)
Daughter nodules	31 (62)
Tumor necrosis	33 (66)
Tumor hemorrhage	29 (58)

AFP: serum alpha fetoprotein, HBsAg (+): positive hepatitis B surface antigen, Anti-HCV(+): positive hepatitis C virus antibody, Edmondson Steiner grade: differentiation grade.

Table 2 Predictors of HCC recurrence

Variable	P values
	UV	MV
Sex	0.895	-
Age	0.279	-
Size(< 3 cm, > 10 cm)	0.415	-
Liver cirrhosis	0.510	-
Child-Pugh class	0.528	-
Serum AFP	0.744	-
HBAg (+)	0.280	-
Anti-HCV (+)	0.481	-
Edmondson Steiner grade	0.0005	0.033
Capsule	< 0.0001	0.020
Vascular permeation	< 0.0001	0.018
Daughter nodules	< 0.0001	0.006
Tumor necrosis	0.344	-
Tumor hemorrhage	0.812	-
Tissue VEGF165 mRNA	0.022	0.038
Tissue VEGF121 mRNA	0.622	-

UV: univariate analysis, MV: multivariate analysis, AFP: se-rum alpha fetoprotein, HbsAg(+): positive hepatitis B surface antigen, Anti-HCV(+): positive hepatitis C virus antibody, Edmondson Steiner grade: differentiation grades I, II vs III, IV, n.s: not significant.

Table 3 Correlation between clinical and tumor variables and recurrence-related mortality

Variable	P values
	UV	MV
Sex	0.510	-
Age	0.440	-
Size(< 3 cm, > 10 cm)	0.519	-
Liver cirrhosis	0.510	-
Child-Pugh class	0.548
HBAg (+)	0.351	-
Anti-HCV (+)	0.521	-
Edmondson Steiner grade	< 0.0001	0.053
Capsule	0.033	n.s.
Vascular permeation	< 0.001	0.045
Daughter nodules	0.016	n.s.
Tumor necrosis	0.373	-
Tumor hemorrhage	0.306	-
Tissue VEGF165 mRNA	0.018	0.045
Tissue VEGF121 mRNA	0.744	-

UV: univariate analysis, MV: multivariate analysis, AFP: se-rum alpha fetoprotein, HBsAg (+): positive hepatitis B surface antigen, Anti-HCV(+): positive hepatitis C virus antibody, Edmondson Steiner grade: differentiation grades I, II vs III, IV, n.s: not significant.