Background: Preoperative alpha-L-fucosidase (AFU) has been used as a diagnostic biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but its role as a prognostic predictor after partial hepatectomy has not been well defined. The study aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of preoperative serum AFU for HCC patients after hepatic resection.
Methods: A retrospective training data set and a prospective validation data set were used to evaluate the prognosis of HCC after partial hepatectomy. A total of 669 patients with histopathologically confirmed HCC were enrolled. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify the prognostic significance of preoperative serum AFU.
Results: The retrospective training data set showed a preoperative AFU>35 u l(-1) should be used. The prospective validation data set showed preoperative AFU was an independent prognostic factor of overall survival (OS) (P=0.008; hazard ratio: 2.333; 95% confidence interval: 1.249-4.369). Patients with a preoperative AFU>35 u l(-1) had a lower recurrence-free survival rate and an OS rate than those with AFU≤35 u l(-1), and they have a higher tendency to form macrovascular invasion. Furthermore, the prognostic significance of AFU>35 u l(-1) could also be applied to patients with alpha-fetoprotein levels of ≤400 ng ml(-1).
Conclusions: Preoperative serum AFU is a prognostic predictor of HCC.