Relationship between HBsAg/HBV DNA and prognosis in patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors
Objectives: Blocking the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) axis could reverse the immune tolerance in the liver microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the efficacy and the safety of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and the possibility of hepatiti...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/17588359251347469 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850217762383724544 |
|---|---|
| author | Qiuying Qin Yuanyuan Zheng Yiran Wang Fei Zhou Dong Li Linlin Jin Mujia Zhu Yabing Guo Rong Fan Jinlin Hou Xiaoyong Zhang Hongyan Liu |
| author_facet | Qiuying Qin Yuanyuan Zheng Yiran Wang Fei Zhou Dong Li Linlin Jin Mujia Zhu Yabing Guo Rong Fan Jinlin Hou Xiaoyong Zhang Hongyan Liu |
| author_sort | Qiuying Qin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: Blocking the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) axis could reverse the immune tolerance in the liver microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the efficacy and the safety of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and the possibility of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels as prognostic biomarkers in patients with HBV-related HCC. Design: A retrospective study. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with HBV-related HCC and positive quantitative HBsAg (qHBsAg) who received PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapy at least once. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and objective response rate (ORR), with the secondary endpoint being disease control rate (DCR). Cox regression models were used to illustrate the association of patient characteristics with survival. Results: A total of 235 patients with HBV-related HCC were included in this study. The median OS for all patients was 20.9 months. The ORR and DCR were 15.7% and 70.6%, respectively. Baseline HBV DNA levels were associated with DCR ( p = 0.004). Patients in the qHBsAg-response group in the fourth week had a longer OS after PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor treatment compared to those in the qHBsAg nonresponse group (29.1 months vs 14.9 months, p = 0.04). Multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that positive baseline HBV DNA (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 2.6, p = 0.04) and qHBsAg nonresponse at week 4 after PD-1/PD-L1inhibitor therapy (aHR = 2.2, p = 0.04) were independent risk factors for survival. Conclusion: PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapy in patients with HBV-related HCC showed better efficacy and safety. Negative HBV DNA and a short-term decline in qHBsAg from baseline were associated with superior survival prognosis. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b717d16ec86143d18bcef0c0c3173b9d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1758-8359 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology |
| spelling | doaj-art-b717d16ec86143d18bcef0c0c3173b9d2025-08-20T02:07:59ZengSAGE PublishingTherapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology1758-83592025-06-011710.1177/17588359251347469Relationship between HBsAg/HBV DNA and prognosis in patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitorsQiuying QinYuanyuan ZhengYiran WangFei ZhouDong LiLinlin JinMujia ZhuYabing GuoRong FanJinlin HouXiaoyong ZhangHongyan LiuObjectives: Blocking the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) axis could reverse the immune tolerance in the liver microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the efficacy and the safety of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and the possibility of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels as prognostic biomarkers in patients with HBV-related HCC. Design: A retrospective study. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with HBV-related HCC and positive quantitative HBsAg (qHBsAg) who received PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapy at least once. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and objective response rate (ORR), with the secondary endpoint being disease control rate (DCR). Cox regression models were used to illustrate the association of patient characteristics with survival. Results: A total of 235 patients with HBV-related HCC were included in this study. The median OS for all patients was 20.9 months. The ORR and DCR were 15.7% and 70.6%, respectively. Baseline HBV DNA levels were associated with DCR ( p = 0.004). Patients in the qHBsAg-response group in the fourth week had a longer OS after PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor treatment compared to those in the qHBsAg nonresponse group (29.1 months vs 14.9 months, p = 0.04). Multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that positive baseline HBV DNA (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 2.6, p = 0.04) and qHBsAg nonresponse at week 4 after PD-1/PD-L1inhibitor therapy (aHR = 2.2, p = 0.04) were independent risk factors for survival. Conclusion: PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapy in patients with HBV-related HCC showed better efficacy and safety. Negative HBV DNA and a short-term decline in qHBsAg from baseline were associated with superior survival prognosis.https://doi.org/10.1177/17588359251347469 |
| spellingShingle | Qiuying Qin Yuanyuan Zheng Yiran Wang Fei Zhou Dong Li Linlin Jin Mujia Zhu Yabing Guo Rong Fan Jinlin Hou Xiaoyong Zhang Hongyan Liu Relationship between HBsAg/HBV DNA and prognosis in patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology |
| title | Relationship between HBsAg/HBV DNA and prognosis in patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors |
| title_full | Relationship between HBsAg/HBV DNA and prognosis in patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors |
| title_fullStr | Relationship between HBsAg/HBV DNA and prognosis in patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Relationship between HBsAg/HBV DNA and prognosis in patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors |
| title_short | Relationship between HBsAg/HBV DNA and prognosis in patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors |
| title_sort | relationship between hbsag hbv dna and prognosis in patients with hbv related hepatocellular carcinoma treated with pd 1 pd l1 inhibitors |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/17588359251347469 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT qiuyingqin relationshipbetweenhbsaghbvdnaandprognosisinpatientswithhbvrelatedhepatocellularcarcinomatreatedwithpd1pdl1inhibitors AT yuanyuanzheng relationshipbetweenhbsaghbvdnaandprognosisinpatientswithhbvrelatedhepatocellularcarcinomatreatedwithpd1pdl1inhibitors AT yiranwang relationshipbetweenhbsaghbvdnaandprognosisinpatientswithhbvrelatedhepatocellularcarcinomatreatedwithpd1pdl1inhibitors AT feizhou relationshipbetweenhbsaghbvdnaandprognosisinpatientswithhbvrelatedhepatocellularcarcinomatreatedwithpd1pdl1inhibitors AT dongli relationshipbetweenhbsaghbvdnaandprognosisinpatientswithhbvrelatedhepatocellularcarcinomatreatedwithpd1pdl1inhibitors AT linlinjin relationshipbetweenhbsaghbvdnaandprognosisinpatientswithhbvrelatedhepatocellularcarcinomatreatedwithpd1pdl1inhibitors AT mujiazhu relationshipbetweenhbsaghbvdnaandprognosisinpatientswithhbvrelatedhepatocellularcarcinomatreatedwithpd1pdl1inhibitors AT yabingguo relationshipbetweenhbsaghbvdnaandprognosisinpatientswithhbvrelatedhepatocellularcarcinomatreatedwithpd1pdl1inhibitors AT rongfan relationshipbetweenhbsaghbvdnaandprognosisinpatientswithhbvrelatedhepatocellularcarcinomatreatedwithpd1pdl1inhibitors AT jinlinhou relationshipbetweenhbsaghbvdnaandprognosisinpatientswithhbvrelatedhepatocellularcarcinomatreatedwithpd1pdl1inhibitors AT xiaoyongzhang relationshipbetweenhbsaghbvdnaandprognosisinpatientswithhbvrelatedhepatocellularcarcinomatreatedwithpd1pdl1inhibitors AT hongyanliu relationshipbetweenhbsaghbvdnaandprognosisinpatientswithhbvrelatedhepatocellularcarcinomatreatedwithpd1pdl1inhibitors |