Background/aim: Insufficient growth of the liver or tumor progression is an important issue of portal vein embolization (PVE) in some patients. This study evaluated the predictive value of serum biomarkers for liver hypertrophy and tumor progression after PVE.
Patients and methods: Serum levels of tumor markers, growth factors and cytokines were determined in 40 patients with malignant liver tumors in the pre- and post-PVE period. The values were compared with contralateral liver hypertrophy and tumor progression.
Results: Liver tissue hypertrophy occurred in 26 (65%), tumor progression in 11 (27.5%) and insufficient liver hypertrophy in 3 (7.5%) of the patients. The significant predictive biomarkers of PVE included serum TPA levels, monototal, IGF-BP3, IGF1, TGF-α, EGF, HGF, VEGF, TNFa and IL-10 before PVE; and TK, TPA, monototal, IGF-BP3, TGFa and IL-8 over the course of 28 days after PVE.
Conclusion: Certain serum biomarkers have an important predictive value for the result of PVE.