Association of chr11q13 amplification with survival and recurrence in patients with surgically treated hepatocellular carcinoma.
Authors: Wu Liqun , Cao Jingyu , Lian Baofeng , Fan Zhong-Qi , Guan Ge , Rao Wei , Zhu Chengzhan , Yang Xu , Xun Ziyu , Zhang Nan , Long Junyu , Yang Xiaobo , Lu Leilei , Song Zhijian , Wang Aodi , Dong Xiaowei , Zhao Hai-Tao , Wang Kai , Lv Guo-Yue 
Published: July 2024

e16253 Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly lethal and aggressive malignant tumor characterized by high rates of recurrence and metastasis, and low survival outcomes. The current treatments available for HCC have shown limited success, and the prevalence of genomic characterization and their association with survival and recurrence in HCC patients are largely unknown. Methods: The investigation enrolled 1,221 Chinese individuals diagnosed with primary HCC. This study collected samples including tumor and paired tumor-free tissues and clinical characteristics. Among them, 348 patients' clinical outcome data, including overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were gathered. Genomic analysis was conducted through panel sequencing by OrigiMed. Hazard ratios were calculated employing both univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models. The log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier plots were used to assess comparison of clinical outcomes by various prognostic factors. For other statistical analyses, a two-tailed unpaired t-test and Fisher's exact test were applied. Results: With a median age of 54, 87% of the cases were male. Pertaining to risk factors, 74% cases had HBV infection and 62% cases were cirrhosis. Meanwhile, serum AFP levels greater (or less) than 400 ng/mL were present in 299 cases (or 485 cases). Panel sequencing identified the most prevalent mutations ( > 10%, excluding copy number variations) in TP53 (60%), TERT (40%), CTNNB1 (21%), AXIN1 (14%), LRP1B (14%), ARID1A (13%), RB1 (12%) and TSC2 (11%). The most frequently amplified genes were located at chr11q13, including CCND1 (9%), FGF19 (9%), FGF4 (7%) and FGF3 (7%). Survival analysis indicated that patients with Chr11q13 amp had significantly shorter OS and RFS. Further studies revealed a higher incidence of Chr11q13 amp in patients at advanced stages III/IV (64/564, 11%) compared to early-stage I/II (38/523, 7%), and in patients with vascular invasion (31/220, 14%) versus those without (44/599, 7%). No significant differences were observed in tumor mutational burden and HLA-I evolutionary divergence between patients with various Chr11q13 amp statuses. Furthermore, multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were utilized to examine the relationship between Chr11q13 amp status, characteristics and outcomes. Among the 248 patients with comprehensive clinical characteristics and available OS and RFS data, analyses indicated significant negative correlations between Chr11q13 amp and embolus with both OS and RFS. Conclusions: Our study elucidates that the presence of Chr11q13 amp was significantly associated with worse survival and increased risk of recurrence among a large cohort of Chinese patients with HCC. This discovery yields important insights into the understanding of HCC and has the potential to benefit personalized therapy.