Early recurrence after curative resection remains a major challenge in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), particularly in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related cases. Liquid biopsy using circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) offers a non-invasive approach to identify molecular markers predictive of recurrence. We prospectively enrolled 30 patients with HBV-related HCC presenting with a single tumor (< 5 cm) and no vascular invasion or metastasis. Blood samples were collected preoperatively and on postoperative day 7. Expression of 20 selected miRNAs from circulating cell-free DNA/RNA and exosomes was analyzed. Participants were categorized into early recurrence (within 1 year, n = 6) and non-recurrence (n = 24) groups. Differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, and target genes of significant miRNAs were retrieved from miRTarBase. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed using STRING and visualized in Cytoscape. Enrichment analysis was performed using Gene Ontology and KEGG pathway databases. On postoperative day 7, expression of miR-184 and miR-206 was significantly lower in the early recurrence group than in the non-recurrence group (p < 0.05). Other miRNAs showed no significant differences. Target gene analysis revealed 16 key hub proteins—CCND1, CCND2, KLF4, NOTCH3, BDNF, MET, CDK4, BCL2, AKT2, IGF1R, MYC, HDAC4, ESR1, KRAS, SMARCB1, and AGO2—enriched in cancer-related pathways and involved in HCC progression. Reduced postoperative expression of miR-184 and miR-206 may predict early recurrence in patients with HBV-related HCC. Their associated regulatory networks suggest possible mechanisms of recurrence and represent potential biomarkers for postoperative surveillance. Further studies are needed to validate their prognostic value.
Kim et al. (Wed,) studied this question.