Serum Glycomics as Prognostic and Diagnostic Biomarkers of Disease Recurrence in Liver Transplant Recipients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma (GLITCA)
Liver transplantation (LT) is the only curative option for a selection of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on clinical selection criteria known as the Milan criteria. Nevertheless, 15% of these patients still show tumour recurrence after LT. In a monocentric pilot study, we have demonstrated that specific changes in N-glycan profiles (measured before LT) occur in HCC patients receiving LT1. These specific changes proved to be strongly associated with the risk of HCC recurrence and overall death after LT, independent of the criteria used for stringent patient selection. Pathophysiologically, it is known that abberations in protein glycosylation are involved in the onset en development of HCC. As such, a prognostic biomarker was developed that can clearly differentiate between patients with and without increased risk of HCC recurrence.
The primary goal of this research study is to set up a prospective, multicentre study in order to validate the prognostic value of this glycomics-based serum biomarker. As such, the risk of tumour recurrence in patients undergoing LT for HCC will be estimated independent from the Milan criteria and the French alpha-fetoprotein model as the current standard. The secondary goal is to explore the potential of serum glycomics as markers of early recurrence after LT for HCC. More specifically, we aim to investigate whether serial glycomics determination at fixed time points after LT could allow early detection of recurrent HCC even before it is visible on conventional imaging. Consequently, a diagnostic biomarker for monitoring early recurrence after LT could be developed with the potential of redirecting treatment strategies already in an early disease stage.
In case the promising data from the pilot study will be confirmed, the prognostic biomarker could be implemented in daily clinical practice leading to optimization of patient selection using a simple blood test before LT. More specifically, this marker could improve organ allocation thus preventing unnessecary treatment toxicity for the patient and reducing the costs of treatment for society. Moreover, it should be emphasized that a patent application was already submitted and accepted in collaboration with TechTranfer of Ghent University (PCT/EP2021/057788-Prognostic markers of disease recurrence in liver transplant recipients with hepatocellular carcinoma).
Study Overview
Status
Intervention / Treatment
Study Type
Enrollment (Estimated)
Contacts and Locations
Study Contact
- Name: Xavier Verhelst, MD, PhD
- Phone Number: +32 9 332 23 71
- Email: xavier.verhelst@uzgent.be
Study Contact Backup
- Name: Emma Butaye
- Phone Number: +32 496 88 17 91
- Email: emma.butaye@uzgent.be
Study Locations
-
-
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Gent, Belgium, 9000
- Recruiting
- Ghent University Hospital
-
Contact:
- Xavier Verhelst, MD, PhD
- Phone Number: +32 9 332 23 71
- Email: xavier.verhelst@uzgent.be
-
Contact:
- Emma Butaye
- Phone Number: +32 496 88 17 91
- Email: emma.butaye@uzgent.be
-
-
Participation Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
- Adult
- Older Adult
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Sampling Method
Study Population
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- Signed and dated patient informed consent document
- Diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma
- Age ≥ 18 years
- Ability to comply with protocol-specified evaluations and scheduled visits
- Eligible for liver transplantation and/or active on the waiting list for liver transplantation
- Consulted the department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Exclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosis of other liver tumors (eg. liver metastasis, cholangiocarcinoma)
Study Plan
How is the study designed?
Design Details
Cohorts and Interventions
Group / Cohort |
Intervention / Treatment |
|---|---|
|
No HCC recurrence
Patients receiving a liver transplantation that do NOT develop HCC recurrence after liver transplantation.
|
Determination of serum glycomics pre-transplant using an optimal cutoff based on statistic modeling
Determination of serum glycomics post-transplant using an optimal cutoff based on statistic modeling
|
|
HCC recurrence
Patients receiving a liver transplantation that develop HCC recurrence after liver transplantation.
|
Determination of serum glycomics pre-transplant using an optimal cutoff based on statistic modeling
Determination of serum glycomics post-transplant using an optimal cutoff based on statistic modeling
|
What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Time Frame |
|---|---|
|
HCC recurrence
Time Frame: 18 months
|
18 months
|
|
Disease-free survival
Time Frame: 18 months
|
18 months
|
Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Time Frame |
|---|---|
|
Overall survival
Time Frame: 10 years
|
10 years
|
Collaborators and Investigators
Study record dates
Study Major Dates
Study Start (Actual)
Primary Completion (Estimated)
Study Completion (Estimated)
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Posted (Actual)
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Verified
More Information
Terms related to this study
Additional Relevant MeSH Terms
Other Study ID Numbers
- ONZ-2022-0492
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
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