AUTHOR=Hapaer Gulizaina , Che Feng , Xu Qing , Li Qian , Liang Ailin , Wang Zhou , Ziluo Jituome , Zhang Xin , Wei Yi , Yuan Yuan , Song Bin 

TITLE=Radiomics-based biomarker for PD-1 status and prognosis analysis in patients with HCC

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1435668

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2025.1435668

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=PurposeTo investigate the impact of preoperative contrast-enhanced CT-based radiomics model on PD-1 prediction in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.MethodsThe study included 105 HCC patients (training cohort: 72; validation cohort: 33) who underwent preoperative contrast-enhanced CT and received systemic sorafenib treatment after surgery. Radiomics score was built for each patient and was integrated with independent clinic radiologic predictors into the radiomics model using multivariable logistic regression analysis.ResultsSeventeen radiomics features were finally selected to construct the radiomics score. In multivariate analysis, serum creatine and peritumoral enhancement were significant independent factors for PD-1 prediction. The radiomics model integrated radiomics signature with serum creatine and peritumoral enhancement showed good discriminative performance (AUC of 0.897 and 0.794 in the training and validation cohort). Overall survival (OS) was significantly different between the radiomics-predicted PD-1-positive and PD-1-negative groups (OS: 29.66 months, CI:16.03-44.40 vs. 31.04 months, CI: 17.10-44.07, P<0.001). Radiomics-predicted PD-1 was an independent predictor of OS of patients treated with sorafenib after surgery. (Hazard ratio [HR]: 1.61 [1.23-2.1], P<0.001).ConclusionThe proposed model based on radiomic signature helps to evaluate PD-1 status of HCC patients and may be used for evaluating patients most likely to benefit from sorafenib as a potentially combination therapy regimen with immune checkpoint therapies.