Fig 1.
Data collection was carried out by two independent investigators, CBW and ZLT, with validation conducted by a third investigator, JXC. We obtained a list of HCC patients from the follow-up department and retrieved laboratory data from their initial hospital admissions using the case management system. This data was meticulously recorded in Microsoft Excel. Clinical and laboratory information were collected from the medical records within one week prior to surgery, ensuring accuracy and timeliness. We utilized standardized case report forms to gather demographic details, medical history, treatment regimens, and follow-up outcomes. A retrospective analysis was conducted on patient data incorporated into this study. The data collection included the following: (1) Basic information: gender and age; (2) Clinicopathological information: Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) stage, tumor size, liver cirrhosis, degree of tumor differentiation (based on the Edmondson-Steiner criteria for tumor histological differentiation) [24], number of tumors, metastasis status and microvascular invasion (MVI) status; (3) Hematological examination: monocyte (MONO), eosinophils (EOSO), circulating complement (C3), fibrinogen (FIB), platelets (PLT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
Table 1.
Patient demographics and clinical characteristics.
Fig 2.
The impact of C. sinensis on the prognosis of HCC patients after resection.
(A) C. sinensis for Overall survival; (B) C. sinensis for Recurrence-free survival.
Fig 3.
Microvascular density and angiogenesis-related mRNA expressions in the HCC tissues.
(A) MVD rates in C. sinensis (+) (N = 92) and (-) (N = 855) HCC patients. Right pannel: IHC image showing CD34 expression. (B) mRNA level of angiogenesis-related genes in HCC tissues from C. sinensis (+) and (-) patients (each N = 6). *p < 0.05. Data are presented as means ± SD; n = 6. Student’s t-test was used.
Fig 4.
Angiogenesis-related circulating biomarkers in C. sinensis (+) and (-) HCC patients.
(A) Monocyte. (B) Eosinophils. (C) Circulating complement, C3. (D) Fibrinogen. (E) Platelets. (F) Lactate dehydrogenase. (G) Glutamate dehydrogenase. (H) Vascular endothelial growth factor. A-G: data are presented as medians (M) with interquartile ranges (IQR); Mann-Whitney test was used.