Trajectories of postoperative hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma outcomes.

Background: Preoperative hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA level has been shown to correlate with the prognosis of patients with HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following liver resection, but its dynamic changes have not been reported. The aim of this longitudinal multicenter retrospective observational study was to describe the trajectory of HBV DNA after R0 liver resection in patients receiving antiviral therapy and to investigate its impact on clinical outcomes.

Methods: This study included patients with HBV-related HCC from nine hospitals in China who received antiviral therapy and R0 hepatectomy between 2015 and 2016. A latent class growth mixed model (LCGMM) was applied to group the trajectories of HBV DNA changes. The relative importance of each variable to predict survival was evaluated using the χ2.

Results: Six hundred and eighty-four patients with HCC who met the inclusion exclusion criteria were included. Patients were divided into 5 trajectories of HBV DNA changes using LCGMM. By combining subgroups with similar survival characteristics, patients were reclassified into three groups: slow decline, slow zeroing, and fast zeroing group, the 5-year OS rates are 34.5 %, 53.0 %, 70.9 %, respectively. Multifactorial COX regression results showed that ALBI grade, HBV reactivation, cirrhosis, maximum tumor diameter, microvascular invasion, and HBV DNA trajectory groups were independent risk factors for OS.

Conclusions: HBV DNA trajectories were associated with OS for patients with HBV-related HCC after R0 liver resection, and it is necessary to receive antiviral therapy and to monitor HBV status regularly.