The Journal of Practical Medicine ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (16): 2568-2574.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2025.16.019

• Clinical Research • Previous Articles    

The predictive value of contrast‑enhanced ultrasound parameters combined with serum CXCL9 and IGFBP‑3 for recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after interventional therapy

Min MO1,Jingjing LIN1,Xin LU1,Jin. LU2   

  1. Department of Ultrasound,Changsha First Hospital,Changsha 410001,Hunan,China
  • Received:2025-06-04 Online:2025-08-25 Published:2025-08-28

Abstract:

Objective To evaluate the predictive significance of contrast?enhanced ultrasound parameters in combination with serum levels of chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL9) and insulin?like growth factor?binding protein 3 (IGFBP?3) for the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma following interventional therapy. Methods A total of 212 patients with liver cancer who received interventional therapy at the hospital between June 2022 and November 2023 were selected and categorized into Group A (61 cases) and Group B (151 cases) based on whether tumor recurrence occurred within one year following the intervention. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify potential influencing factors associated with post?treatment recurrence. The predictive performance of contrast?enhanced ultrasound parameters combined with serum biomarkers was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results The levels of several factors including a tumor with a maximum diameter exceeding 3 cm, presence of microvascular invasion, high peak intensity (PI), short time to peak (TTP), short arrival time (AT), elevated serum CXCL9, and decreased serum IGFBP?3 were identified as independent risk factors for recurrence in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma following interventional therapy (P < 0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) for the combination of PI, TTP, AT, along with serum levels of CXCL9 and IGFBP?3, in predicting recurrence after interventional therapy was significantly higher than that of individual factors alone (P < 0.05). Conclusions The risk of recurrence in patients undergoing interventional therapy for liver cancer is substantial, and it is influenced by a range of independent risk factors. Combining contrast?enhanced ultrasound parameters with serum levels of CXCL9 and IGFBP?3 may enhance the predictive accuracy for tumor recurrence in these patients.

Key words: hepatocellular carcinoma, intervention therapy, contrast-enhanced ultrasound parameters, chemokine ligand 9, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3

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