Influence of Preoperative Serum Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) Level on the Prognosis of Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to analyze preoperative serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels and their effect on the prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after surgical operation. These analyses were performed retrospectively in patients with NSCLC followed by surgery; participants were recruited between January 2004 and January 2008. All clinical information and laboratory results were collected from medical records. We explored the association between preoperative serum AST and recurrence-free survival (RFS), and the overall survival (OS) of NSCLC patients. Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox multivariate analysis, stratified by the AST median value, were used to evaluate the prognostic effect. A chi-squared test was performed to compare clinical characteristics in different subgroups. A p-value of ≤0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. A total of 231 patients were enrolled. The median RFS and OS were 22 and 59 months, respectively. The AST levels were divided into two groups, using a cut-off value of 19 U/L: High AST (>19 U/L), n = 113 vs. low AST (≤19 U/L), n = 118. Multivariate analysis indicated that preoperative serum AST > 19 U/L (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.685, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.493–0.994, p = 0.046 for RFS, HR = 0.646, 95% CI: 0.438–0.954, p = 0.028 for OS) was an independent prognostic factor for both RFS and OS. High preoperative serum AST levels may serve as a valuable marker to predict the prognosis of NSCLC after operation.

Prognostic value of aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index as a noninvasive biomarker in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis

“…In-depth studies determined that APRI also had potential prognostic value and could be used as a stable marker to predict the outcome of patients with HCC 11–13. It has been known that AST and PLT play an important role in tumor progression and are associated with prognosis in several human cancers, including HCC 15,30,31. APRI is a combination of the above two predictors, and it is low in cost and more easily detectable.…”

Hepatoprotective Effect of Qushihuayu Formula on Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis Induced by MCD Diet in Rat

“…If any of these tissues are damaged, AST will be released into the bloodstream [12,13]. While increased AST levels are indicative of a tissue injury, it is not speci c to the liver per se [14,15]. By contrast, ALT is found primarily in the liver.…”

Cysteine Aminotransferase (CAT): A Pivotal Sponsor in Metabolic Remodeling and an Ally of 3-Mercaptopyruvate Sulfurtransferase (MST) in Cancer

“…CAT functions as AST in MAS, allowing electron transfer from NADH through the mitochondrial electron transfer chain, intersecting with glycolysis, which suggests it can have important roles in the cancer context. However, the impact of AST on cancer cells still remains unclear [ 68 ]. Bayomi and colleagues reported that increased serum CAT levels correlate with cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2)-encoding ( COX2 ) mRNA expression in hepatocellular carcinoma [ 69 ].…”