Can combination of osteopontin and peritumor-infiltrating macrophages be a prognostic marker of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma?

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent malignancy worldwide. Theincreasing incidence of HCC in the worldwide has sparked an emerging interest in prognostic markers ofHCC. Osteopontin (OPN) is a secreted phosphoprotein which has been associated with progression andmetastasis of HCC. Also, peritumoral macrophage (PTM) have been reported to facilitate tumor progressionand metastasis. Recently, one study reported that combination of OPN with PTM may predict the prognosisof HCC after curative resection. The authors successfully identified that combination of these two markersis an independent predictor of tumor recurrence and survival in patients with HCC, especially for those withearly-stage disease. These findings might support the possibility that combination of OPN and PTM levelscan be a prognostic tool. However, further investigations should be conducted before tumor OPN combinedwith PTMs can be accepted as a valid prognostic marker in clinical practice.