Prognostic value of systemic immune-inflammation index/ albumin for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization...

In the process of tumor occurrence, evolution and development, immune, inflammation and nutrition are principal elements. The purpose of this study was to assess the prognostic value of systemic immune-inflammation index/albumin (SII/ALB) for patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE).

A total of 125 HBV-related HCC patients met inclusion criteria and were all enrolled in this research. The survminer R package. was used to calculate the best SII/ALB cutoff values. Chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between SII/ALB and clinicopathological parameters. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate the effect of SII/ALB on overall survival (OS).

The cutoff value of SII/ALB was 2.992. In the derivation cohort, the patients were divided into SII/ALB-low (SII/ALB≤2.992) and SII/ALB-high (SII/ALB >2.992) groups. SII/ALB-high was found in patients with tumor size ≥3 (cm), white blood cell ≥3.5 (10⁹/L), platelet ≥100 (10⁹/L), neutrophils ≥1.8 (10⁹/L), PT ≥ 14(s), SII ≥100, NLR ≥1.50 and PLR ≥60, (P < 0.05). The Kaplan-Meier curves showed that elevated SII/ALB were associated with decreased OS. OS rate of SII/ALB-low and SII/ALB-high groups at 1 and 2 years were 96.6% vs. 70.3% and 87.8% vs. 48.5%, respectively (C² = 9.804, P = 0.002). The BCLC stage, tumor number, tumor size, vascular invasion, AST, SII/ALB, SII, NLR and PNI were all significant prognostic indicators of OS. The SII/ALB (HR: 17.98; 95%CI: 1.82-177.32) and tumor size (HR: 3.26; 95%CI: 1.27-8.35) were all independent prognostic factors for OS, (p < 0.05).Conclusion: we found that SII/ALB could be an important prognostic parameter for HBV-related HCC patients after TACE treatment.