Prognostic and clinicopathological significance of Gamma-Glutamyltransferase in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Background: Many studies explored the prognostic and clinicopathological significance of pretreatment serum Gamma-Glutamyltransferase (GGT) level in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, there are inconsistent results in the prognostic and clinicopathological significance of pretreatment serum GGT level in HCC. Thus, we conducted this meta-analysis to comprehensively assess the prognostic and clinicopathological significance of pretreatment serum GGT level in HCC patients. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science for relevant studies (up to June 14, 2018). The estimated hazard ratios (HRs) were used to assess the association between pretreatment serum GGT level and survival in HCC patients. The estimated odds ratios (ORs) were applied to evaluate the correlation between pretreatment serum GGT and clinicopathological features in HCC. Results: Our results showed that high pretreatment serum GGT level was significantly correlated with poor overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.54–1.87; P < .01) and disease-free survival/relapse-free survival (DFS/RFS) (HR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.42–1.71; P < .01). Additionally, our results also revealed that there was a close correlation between GGT level and several clinicopathological features in HCC patients, including vascular invasion, tumor size, tumor number and Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level. Conclusions: This meta-analysis shows that high pretreatment serum GGT level is significantly correlated with poor survival and unfavorable clinicopathological features in HCC patients, suggesting that pretreatment serum GGT may be an economical and effective prognostic biomarker for HCC patients. However, more high-quality studies are still warranted to further validate our findings, considering there are several limitations in this meta-analysis.

Combination of the gamma-glutamyltransferase-to-prealbumin ratio and other indicators may be a novel marker for predicting the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing locoregional ablative therapies

“…As an almost ubiquitous enzyme, γ-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT) initiates the degradation of extracellular glutathione and is also conjugates and correlates with biotransformation, nucleic acid metabolism, and oncogenesis [5]. Previous studies have shown that high levels of γ-GT are significantly associated with unfavorable prognoses in HCC patients [6, 7]. Prealbumin (PA), which is synthesized by the liver, is a recently identified biomarker indicative of liver synthetic functions and has not been included in the traditional Child-Pugh classification system.…”

A Circulating Long Noncoding RNA Panel Serves as a Diagnostic Marker for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

“…GGT is an enzyme which can be induced by intrahepatic obstruction or directly synthesized by liver cancer cells in HCC [26]. The diagnostic value of GGT has been deeply studied, and elevated GGT has been demonstrated to predict poor survival for HCC [27]. Accordingly, serum linc00152 and PTTG3P might be associated with the prognosis for HCC patients.…”

Changes in hepatocellular carcinoma aggressiveness characteristics with an increase in tumor diameter

“…9,14 AST trends upwards with increasing MTD, consistent with increased inflammation, as well as GGTP, which may also reflect hepatic inflammation, but is additionally reported as a candidate HCC biomarker. 15,16 Similarly, albumin trends downwards with increasing MTD, consistent with it being an inflammation biomarker. 10,12 Major increases in serum AFP, the rate of PVT and the rate of multifocality were found around a 5 cm MTD pivot point.…”