< i > Clonorchis sinensis < /i > infection amplifies hepatocellular carcinoma stemness, predicting unfavorable prognosis

This study was designed to investigate the association betweenC.sinensis infection and HCC and reveal the relationship betweenC.sinensis infection and cancer stemness. MethodsA comprehensive analysis of 839 HCC patients categorized intoC.sinensis (-) HCC andC.sinensis (+) HCC groups was conducted. Chi-square and Mann –Whitney U tests were used to assess the association betweenC.sinensis infection and clinical factors. Kaplan –Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate survival outcomes. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine CK19 and EpCAM expression in HCC specimens. ResultsCompared toC.sinensis (-) HCC patients,C.sinensis (+) HCC patients exhibited advanced Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage, higher male prevalence and more liver cirrhosis as well as elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carbohydrate antigen 19 –9 (CA19-9), eosinophil, complement 3 (C3), and complement 4 (C4) values.C.sinensis infection correlated with shorter overall survival (OS) (p
Source: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases - Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Source Type: research