Introduction: This study aimed to develop a prognostic nomogram for predicting the recurrence-free survival (RFS) of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with low preoperative platelet-albumin-bilirubin (PALBI) scores after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with local ablation treatment.Methods: We gathered clinical data from 632 HBV-related HCC patients who received the combination treatment at Beijing You’an Hospital, affiliated with Capital Medical University, from January 2014 to January 2020. The patients were divided into two groups based on their PALBI scores: low PALBI group (n=247) and high PALBI group (n=385). The low PALBI group was then divided into two cohorts: training cohort (n=172) and validation cohort (n=75). We utilized eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), random survival forest (RSF), and multivariate Cox analysis to pinpoint the risk factors for RFS. Then, we developed a nomogram based on the screened factors and assessed its risk stratification capabilities and predictive performance.Results: The study finally identified age, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and prothrombin time activity (PTA) as key predictors. The three variables were included to develop the nomogram for predicting the 1-, 3-, and 5-year RFS of HCC patients. We confirmed the nomogram’s ability to effectively discern high and low risk patients, as evidenced by Kaplan-Meier curves. We further corroborated the excellent discrimination, consistency, and clinical utility of the nomogram through assessments using the C-index, area under the curve (AUC), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA).Conclusion: Our study successfully constructed a robust nomogram, effectively predicting 1-, 3-, and 5-year RFS for HBV-related HCC patients with low preoperative PALBI scores after TACE combined with local ablation therapy.

Introduction: This study aimed to assess factors affecting the prognosis of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing ablation therapy and create a nomogram for predicting their 3-, 5-, and 8-year overall survival (OS).Methods: The research included 881 early-stage HCC patients treated at Beijing You’an Hospital, affiliated with Capital Medical University, from 2014 to 2022. A nomogram was developed using independent prognostic factors identified by Lasso and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Its predictive performance was evaluated with concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA).Results: The study identified age, tumor number, tumor size, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), international normalized ratio (INR), and prealbumin (Palb) as independent prognostic risk factors. The nomogram achieved C-indices of 0.683 (primary cohort) and 0.652 (validation cohort), with Area Under the Curve (AUC) values of 0.776, 0.779, and 0.822 (3-year, 5-year, and 8-year OS, primary cohort) and 0.658, 0.724, and 0.792 (validation cohort), indicating that the nomogram possessed strong discriminative ability. Calibration and DCA curves further confirmed the nomogram’s predictive accuracy and clinical utility. The nomogram can effectively stratify patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups, particularly identifying high-risk patients.Conclusions: The established nomogram in our study can provide precise prognostic information for HCC patients following ablation treatment and enable physicians to accurately identify high-risk individuals and facilitate timely intervention.

Introduction: This study conducts a retrospective analysis on patients with BCLC stage A/B hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accompanied by Child-Pugh B cirrhosis, who underwent transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in combination with local ablation therapy. Our goal was to uncover risk factors contributing to post-treatment recurrence and to develop and validate an innovative 1-, 3-, and 5-year recurrence free survival (RFS) nomogram.Methods: Data from 255 BCLC A/B HCC patients with Child-Pugh B cirrhosis treated at Beijing You’an Hospital (January 2014 - January 2020) were analyzed using random survival forest (RSF), LASSO regression, and multivariate Cox regression to identify independent risk factors for RFS. The prognostic nomogram was then constructed and validated, categorizing patients into low, intermediate, and high-risk groups, with RFS assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves.Results: The nomogram, integrating the albumin/globulin ratio, gender, tumor number, and size, showcased robust predictive performance. Harrell’s concordance index (C-index) values for the training and validation cohorts were 0.744 (95% CI: 0.703–0.785) and 0.724 (95% CI: 0.644–0.804), respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) values for 1-, 3-, and 5-year RFS in the two cohorts were also promising. Calibration curves highlighted the nomogram’s reliability and decision curve analysis (DCA) confirmed its practical clinical benefits. Through meticulous patient stratification, we also revealed the nomogram’s efficacy in distinguishing varying recurrence risks.Conclusion: This study advances recurrence prediction in BCLC A/B HCC patients with Child-Pugh B cirrhosis following TACE combined with ablation. The established nomogram accurately predicts 1-, 3-, and 5-year RFS, facilitating timely identification of high-risk populations.

Aspartate (Asp) can act on liver Kupffer cells, inhibit NOD-like receptor-P 3 (NLRP3) inflammatory bodies, and improve liver inflammation in acute hepatitis. However, the effect of Asp on the role of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis in chronic liver injury remains unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Asp on CCl₄-induced liver fibrosis in mice and HSCs via the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway. Liver fibrosis was induced in C57BL/6J mice by intraperitoneally (IP) injecting 0.5 mL/kg 2% CCl₄ three times weekly for 8 weeks. Asp was administered to mice by gavage once every morning for 4 weeks. Masson’s trichrome staining, Sirius red staining and hematoxylin and eosin staining were used to detect and analyze the pathological changes in liver tissues. Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry were applied to determine the protein expression levels of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen Ⅲ (COL III), NLRP3, and IL-1β. In addition, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was performed to detect the mRNA expression levels. In the liver fibrosis model, the pathological changes in liver tissues improved following treatment with Asp. A marked decrease was observed in protein and mRNA expression levels of α-SMA, COL III, NLRP3, and IL-1β. In addition, HSCs were treated with Asp. The expression levels of α-SMA, COL III, NLRP3, and IL-1β reduced in dose- and time-dependent manners. Furthermore, Asp upregulated the expression of NS3TP1 in vivo and in vitro, and NS3TP1 had a significant inhibitory effect on liver fibrosis. Asp attenuated liver fibrosis and reduced collagen production by suppressing the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway via upregulating the expression of NS3TP1.