A Novel Glycobiomarker: Wisteria Floribunda Agglutinin Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor Receptor For Predicting Carcinogenesis And Survival Of Liver Cirrhosis Patients

Recently, we identified a novel liver fibrosis glycobiomarker, Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA)-reactive colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (WFA(+)-CSF1R), using a glycoproteomics-based strategy. The aim of this study was to assess the value of measuring WFA(+)-CSF1R levels for the prognosis of carcinogenesis and outcome in liver cirrhosis (LC) patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV). WFA(+)-CSF1R and Total-CSF1R levels were measured in serum samples from 214 consecutive HCV-infected patients to evaluate their impact on carcinogenesis and the survival of LC patients. Serum WFA(+)-CSF1R levels were significantly higher in LC patients than chronic hepatitis (CH) patients (p < 0.001). The AUC of WFA(+)-CSF1R for predicting overall survival, calculated by time-dependent ROC analysis, was 0.691 and the HR (per 1-SD increase) was 1.80 (95% CI, 1.23-2.62, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the survival rate of LC patients with high WFA(+)-CSF1R levels(>= 310 ng/ml) was significantly worse than those with lower levels (p < 0.01). The AUC of WFA(+)/total-CSF1R percentage (WFA(+)-CSF1R%) for predicting the cumulative carcinogenesis rate was 0.760, with an HR of 1.66 (95% CI 1.26-2.20, p < 0.001). In fact, the carcinogenesis rate was significantly higher in LC patients with a high WFA(+)-CSF1R% (>= 35%, p=0.006). Assessing serum levels of WFA(+)-CSF1R has diagnostic value for predicting carcinogenesis and the survival of LC patients.