Analysis of mPFS in patients with HCC treated with ICB (n=49)
| Factor | mPFS (months) | OR (95% CI) | P value |
| Hepatitis status | |||
| Negative | 1.68 | Reference | |
| Positive | 2.69 | 0.982 (0.514 to 1.876) | 0.9563 |
| Stage | |||
| B | 1.58 | Reference | |
| C | 2.68 | 0.842 (0.298 to 2.381) | 0.7456 |
| Age | |||
| <65 | 1.68 | Reference | |
| ≥65 | 3.45 | 0.62 (0.326 to 1.18) | 0.1456 |
| AFP marker | |||
| <400 | 1.74 | Reference | |
| ≥400 | 3.22 | 0.955 (0.496 to 1.838) | 0.8895 |
| ECOG | |||
| 0 | 2.69 | Reference | |
| ≥1 | 1.66 | 1.239 (0.629 to 2.438) | 0.5352 |
| Child-Pugh score | |||
| A5 | 3.61 | Reference | |
| A6 | 1.676 | ||
| B7 and B8 | 0.821 | 1.413 (0.761 to 2.624) | 0.2740 |
| Macrovascular invasion | |||
| Yes | 4.052 | Reference | |
| No | 1.614 | 1.883 (0.917 to 3.870) | 0.0849 |
| Extrahepatic spread | |||
| Yes | 3.459 | Reference | |
| No | 1.548 | 1.678 (0.836 to 3.372) | 0.1457 |
| Intratumoral total CD38+ cell proportion | |||
| Low | 1.64 | Reference | |
| High | 8.21 | 0.384 (0.193 to 0.765) | 0.0065* |
| Intratumoral CD38+CD68+ macrophage density | |||
| Low | 1.61 | Reference | |
| High | 3.88 | 0.368 (0.177 to 0.763) | 0.0072* |
| Intratumoral CD38−CD68+ macrophage density | |||
| Low | 3.43 | Reference | |
| High | 1.68 | 1.315 (0.707 to 2.444) | 0.3875 |
| Intratumoral CD38+CD68 cells density | |||
| Low | 1.64 | Reference | |
| High | 3.88 | 0.669 (0.36 to 1.246) | 0.2052 |
| Intratumoral CD8+ T cell density | |||
| Low | 2.83 | Reference | |
| High | 1.68 | 0.838 (0.438 to 1.603) | 0.5929 |
| PD-L1 TPS | |||
| <1 | 1.74 | Reference | |
| ≥1% | 2.66 | 0.674 (0.347 to 1.311) | 0.2453 |
*P<0.05 indicated a statistically significant difference.
†Staged according to the BCLC staging system.28
AFP, alpha-fetoprotein; ECOG, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; ICB, immune checkpoint blockade; mPFS, median progression-free survival; PD-L1, programmed death-ligand 1; TPS, tumor proportion score.