Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34649958›Full record

ArticleCancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology2022

Serum Biomarkers of Iron Status and Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Yi-Chuan Yu, Hung N Luu, Renwei Wang, Claire E Thomas, Nancy W Glynn, Ada O Youk, Jaideep Behari, Jian-Min Yuan

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.6field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Targeting the Liver Serine Protease TMPRSS6 Ameliorates Steatosis and Attenuates Fibrosis in Experimental MASLD.Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver · 2025
    Article
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Review
  10. Secondary Iron Overload and the Liver: A Comprehensive Review.Journal of clinical and translational hepatology · 2023
    Review
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Role of Iron in Aging Related Diseases.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022
    Article
  15. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Yi-Chuan YuDivision of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Hung N LuuDivision of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.ORCID 0000-0002-2172-1849
Renwei WangDivision of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Claire E ThomasDivision of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.ORCID 0000-0001-9515-3277
Nancy W GlynnDepartment of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.ORCID 0000-0003-2265-0162
Ada O YoukDepartment of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.ORCID 0000-0001-6912-9759
Jaideep BehariDivision of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Jian-Min YuanDivision of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. yuanj@upmc.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-4620-3108
University of Pittsburgh · USUPMC Hillman Cancer Center · US

Funding

VECTOR CORE FACILITYP30CA047904 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI Jessie Nedrow · 1988 to 2026
$158.0M
Novel Determinants for Progression of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease to Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Other Health OutcomesR01CA255809 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI BEHARI, JAIDEEP, YUAN, JIAN-MIN · 2021 to 2025
$3.7M
Translational Research Training in Cancer Prevention and ControlT32CA186873 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI Kathryn H. Schmitz, Jian-Min Yuan · 2014 to 2026
$2.7M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA047904NCI NIH HHS R01 CA255809NCI NIH HHS T32 CA186873
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a major contributor to the rising incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the United States and other developed countries. Iron, an essential metal primarily stored in hepatocytes, may play a role in the development of NAFLD-related HCC. Epidemiologic data on iron overload without hemochromatosis in relation to HCC are sparse. This study aimed to examine the associations between serum biomarkers of iron and the risk of HCC in patients with NAFLD.

methodsWe identified 18,569 patients with NAFLD using the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center electronic health records from 2004 through 2018. After an average 4.34 years of follow-up, 244 patients developed HCC. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of HCC incidence associated with elevated levels of iron biomarkers with adjustment for age, sex, race, body mass index, history of diabetes, and tobacco smoking.

resultsThe HRs (95% CIs) of HCC for clinically defined elevation of serum iron and transferrin saturation were 2.91 (1.34-6.30) and 2.02 (1.22-3.32), respectively, compared with their respective normal range. No statistically significant association was observed for total iron-binding capacity or serum ferritin with HCC risk.

conclusionsElevated levels of serum iron and transferrin saturation were significantly associated with increased risk of HCC among patients with NAFLD without hemochromatosis or other major underlying causes of chronic liver diseases. IMPACT: Clinical surveillance of serum iron level may be a potential strategy to identify patients with NAFLD who are at high risk for HCC.

Indexed as

AgedBiomarkers, TumorCarcinoma, HepatocellularFemaleHumansIronLiver NeoplasmsMaleMiddle AgedNon-alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseasePennsylvaniaRetrospective StudiesRiskTransferrinBiomarkers, TumorIronTransferrin

Identifiers

PMID34649958
PMCPMC9204666
OpenAlexW3206347175

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.