Stiffness on shear wave elastography as a potential microenvironment biomarker for predicting tumor recurrence in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Insights into Imaging

Table 3 Univariate and multivariate analysis for predictors of RFS after HCC hepatectomy

Variables	Univariate analysis		Multivariate analysis
Variables	HR (95% CI)	p value	HR (95% CI)	p value
Sex, female vs. male	1.410 (0.693–2.955)	0.363
Age, years	0.989 (0.968–1.010)	0.290
Tumor size, cm	1.205 (1.149–1.264)	< 0.001	1.190 (1.125–1.258)	< 0.001
AFP, > 20 U/L vs. ≤ 20 U/L	2.078 (1.245–3.369)	0.005
TBIL, > 17.1 µmol/L vs. ≤ 17.1 µmol/L	1.049 (0.616–1.788)	0.860
ALB, < 35 g/L vs. ≥ 35 g/L	1.623 (0.868–3.036)	0.129
ALT, > 40 U/L vs. ≤ 40 U/L	1.094 (0.652–1.837)	0.733
AST, > 40 U/L vs. ≤ 40 U/L	2.119 (1.306–3.439)	0.002
GGT, > 50 U/L vs. ≤ 50 g/L	1.931 (1.164–3.206)	0.011
HBV-DNA, > 100 IU/mL vs. ≤ 100 IU/mL	1.454 (0.887–2.383)	0.137
Cirrhosis, present vs. absent	0.686 (0.385–1.222)	0.201
MVI, present vs. absent	2.901 (1.768–4.762)	< 0.001	1.764 (1.031–3.018)	0.038
Edmondson-Steiner grade, III–IV vs. I–II	1.686 (1.024–2.775)	0.040
Shape, irregular vs. regular	1.655 (0.986–2.780)	0.057
Boundary, unclear vs. clear	1.243 (0.665–2.325)	0.496
Halo, present vs. absent	0.950 (0.575–1.569)	0.840
Intratumoral stiffness, > 63.5 kPa vs. ≤ 63.5 kPa	1.685 (0.918–3.093)	0.092
Peritumoral stiffness, > 49.4 kPa vs. ≤ 49.4 kPa	2.104 (1.283–3.450)	0.003	1.822 (1.088–3.051)	0.023
Adjacent liver stiffness, > 24.1 kPa vs. ≤ 24.1 kPa	2.509 (1.428–4.408)	0.001	1.792 (1.005–3.196)	0.048
Distant liver stiffness, > 15.7 kPa vs. ≤ 15.7 kPa	1.249 (1.065–4.751)	0.034

AFP, alpha-fetoprotein; TBIL, total bilirubin; ALB, albumin; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate transaminase; GGT, gamma-glutamyl transferase; HBV, hepatitis B virus; MVI, microvascular invasion