Elevated serum IP-10/CXCL10 levels are associated with sarcopenia development, a prognostic factor, in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Sarcopenia is a prognostic factor in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the mechanism underlying sarcopenia development in patients with HCC remains unclear. The chemokine interferon-gamma-induced protein 10/C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (IP-10/CXCL10) has emerged as one of the mechanisms in previous studies. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the significance of sarcopenia, and investigate the association between serum IP-10/CXCL10 levels and sarcopenia development. This retrospective study included 738 patients with primary HCC, and among these patients, serum IP-10/CXCL10 levels ​​were measured both at baseline and after 1–3 years in a subset of 135 patients. Among patients with primary HCC, those with sarcopenia at baseline had a poorer prognosis than those without, and patients with sarcopenia at 1, 3, and 5 years after the first occurrence of HCC had a poorer prognosis. Furthermore, serum IP-10/CXCL10 ratios were found to be higher in patients with sarcopenia at baseline and those who developed sarcopenia during the observation period than in those without sarcopenia (p = 0.0016). This study revealed that the significance of sarcopenia as a prognostic factor in patients with HCC, and the changes in serum IP-10/CXCL10 levels appear to be associated with the development of sarcopenia following the first occurrence of HCC.