2019 Volume 4 Issue 2 Pages 21-26
PURPOSE: This study explored the potential biomarkers correlated with liver hypertrophy after balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The liver volume was calculated using volumetry with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) images before and 1 month after BRTO in 18 patients (10 men, 8 women) with a median age of 66.9 years (range, 38-78 years). Patients whose liver volume increased by more than 5% after BRTO were categorized as group A, and the other patients were categorized as group B. Correlation between variables such as patient background, liver function test, and percentage increase of the alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level and liver volume were evaluated using Pearson' s correlation coefficient. The performance of a potential biomarker of liver hypertrophy was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Moreover, changes in liver profiles following BRTO were assessed in each patient group.
RESULTS: The liver volume increased by more than 5% in 7 patients (39%, 7/18; group A) after BRTO. Only the percentage increase of AFP level (r=0.77, p<0.01) was significantly correlated with the percentage increase of liver volume. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) value for percentage increase of AFP level was 0.86 (95% confident interval, 0.65-1.00) with an optimal cutoff value of 4.7%. Significant improvement in both prothrombin time (p<0.05) and Child-Pugh score (p<0.04) was observed following BRTO in group A. However, the liver profiles remained unchanged in group B.
CONCLUSION: The percentage increase of AFP level can be used as a biomarker of liver hypertrophy after BRTO, leading to liver profile improvement.
