Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41946865›Full record

ArticleHepatology international2026

Serum soluble PD-L1 predicts hepatocellular carcinoma development across distinct virological cohorts of chronic hepatitis C.

Kazumi Yamasaki, Masashi Mizokami, Megumi Goto, Shinya Nagaoka, Akira Saeki, Yasuhide Motoyoshi, Tomoyuki Suehiro, Yuki Kugiyama, Atsumasa Komori, Jun Ohashi and 1 more

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Article in Hepatology international, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Kazumi YamasakiClinical Research Center, NHO Nagasaki Medical Center, 2-1001-1, Kubara, Omura, Nagasaki, 856-8562, Japan. rsr03768@nifty.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8876-4440
Masashi MizokamiMolecular and Cellular Glycoproteomics Research Group, Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, 305-8565, Japan.
Megumi GotoSysmex Corporation, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.
Shinya NagaokaClinical Research Center, NHO Nagasaki Medical Center, 2-1001-1, Kubara, Omura, Nagasaki, 856-8562, Japan.
Akira SaekiClinical Research Center, NHO Nagasaki Medical Center, 2-1001-1, Kubara, Omura, Nagasaki, 856-8562, Japan.
Yasuhide MotoyoshiClinical Research Center, NHO Nagasaki Medical Center, 2-1001-1, Kubara, Omura, Nagasaki, 856-8562, Japan.
Tomoyuki SuehiroClinical Research Center, NHO Nagasaki Medical Center, 2-1001-1, Kubara, Omura, Nagasaki, 856-8562, Japan.
Yuki KugiyamaClinical Research Center, NHO Nagasaki Medical Center, 2-1001-1, Kubara, Omura, Nagasaki, 856-8562, Japan.
Atsumasa KomoriClinical Research Center, NHO Nagasaki Medical Center, 2-1001-1, Kubara, Omura, Nagasaki, 856-8562, Japan.
Jun OhashiDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Hiroshi YatsuhashiClinical Research Center, NHO Nagasaki Medical Center, 2-1001-1, Kubara, Omura, Nagasaki, 856-8562, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSoluble programmed death ligand 1 (sPD-L1) reflects immune-inflammatory activity and may serve as a circulating biomarker of hepatocarcinogenesis. Whether baseline sPD-L1 predicts de novo hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients without existing HCC remains unclear.

aimsTo determine whether serum sPD-L1 predicts future HCC across distinct virological backgrounds of chronic hepatitis C.

methodsTwo temporally and clinically distinct cohorts from Nagasaki Medical Center were analyzed. The SVR cohort included 430 patients who achieved sustained virological response after direct-acting antiviral therapy (2013-2017). A historical pre-DAA cohort (n = 692), consisting of viremic patients who underwent liver biopsy between 1992 and 2003, served as an independent temporal validation cohort. Baseline sPD-L1 was measured in all patients. Cox proportional hazards models, stratified analyses, landmark analysis, and time-dependent models were applied to assess the association between sPD-L1 and HCC.

resultsHigh baseline sPD-L1 independently predicted increased HCC risk in both cohorts (SVR: HR 2.61, 95% CI 1.02-6.71; historical: HR 1.90, 95% CI 1.32-2.74). In the SVR cohort, sPD-L1 stratified HCC risk within high-risk groups defined by aMAP, M2BPGi, or FIB-4. In the historical cohort, sPD-L1 stratified HCC risk even within low-risk strata defined by aMAP and FIB-4. Notably, patients with low sPD-L1 rarely developed HCC despite advanced fibrosis.

conclusionsBaseline sPD-L1 predicts de novo HCC development independently of virological status and fibrosis-based indices. Concordant findings across two distinct temporal cohorts support sPD-L1 as a robust preclinical biomarker of hepatocarcinogenesis. Incorporating sPD-L1 into surveillance algorithms may enhance individualized HCC risk stratification.

Indexed as

B7-H1 AntigenCarcinoma, HepatocellularHepatitis C, ChronicLiver NeoplasmsAdultAgedAntiviral AgentsBiomarkers, TumorCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSustained Virologic ResponseAntiviral AgentsB7-H1 AntigenBiomarkers, TumorCD274 protein, humanaMAP scoreBiomarkerChronic hepatitis CDAAFIB-4 indexHepatocellular carcinomaLiver fibrosisM2BPGiRisk stratificationSoluble PD-L1

Identifiers

PMID41946865

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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.