High level of serum protein DKK1 predicts poor prognosis for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy

ABSTRACT Aim: To evaluate prognostic significance of DKK1 for hepatocelluar carcinoma. Materials & methods: We enrolled a test cohort consisting of 266 hepatitis virus B-related hepatocelluar carcinoma patients who had undergone hepatectomy and a validation cohort of 95. Associations of DKK1 with overall survival and time to recurrence were determined by Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: High levels of preoperative serum DKK1 were associated with poor overall survival and higher recurrence rate and DKK1 was an independent prognostic predictor. Moreover, DKK1 maintained ability to predict recurrence for patients with low recurrence risk. Double positives of DKK1 and AFP indicated the worst overall survival and the highest recurrence rate compared with either used alone. Patients with preoperatively and 1-day postoperatively positive DKK1 had higher recurrence rates than those whose values were both negative. Similar results were found in the validation cohort. Conclusion: Serum DKK1 could predict prognosis of hepatocelluar carcinoma after hepatectomy.