03 February 2026 : Original article
Diagnostic Utility of FAR1 Methylation Levels in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Undergoing Liver Transplantation
Byeong-Gon Na
BCE 1, Shin Hwang ABCDEF 1*, Jinil Han BCD 2, Dong-Hwan Jung BCD 1, Gi-Won Song BCD 1, Yun Young Lee BCD 2, Eunyoung Tak BCD 3, Kyoung-Jin Lee BCD 3, Yun-Kyu Kim BCD 3
DOI: 10.12659/AOT.951568
Ann Transplant 2026; 31:e951568
Table 1 Clinicopathological characteristics of the 23 HCC study patients and 12 non-HCC cirrhotic-liver control patients.
| Parameters | HCC study group | Non-HCC cirrhotic-liver control group | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case No. | 23 | 12 | |
| Age (yrs) | 58.7±5.9 | 53.8±11.6 | 0.103 |
| Sex: Male: Female (n) | 17: 6 | 9: 3 | |
| Background liver disease (n) | 0.997 | ||
| Hepatitis B virus infection | 6 (26.1%) | 3 (25.0%) | |
| Hepatitis C virus infection | 6 (26.1%) | 3 (25.0%) | |
| Alcoholic liver disease | 5 (21.7%) | 3 (25.0%) | |
| Others | 6 (26.1%) | 3 (25.0%) | |
| MELD score (mean) | 10.8±4.1 | 12.8±4.2 | 0.188 |
| Explant pathology | NA | ||
| Maximal tumor diameter (cm) | NA | ||
| Mean±SD | 2.4±1.8 | ||
| Median (range) | 1.5 (1.1–9.1) | ||
| Tumor number (n) | NA | ||
| Mean±SD | 2.3±2.5 | ||
| Median (range) | 1 (1–11) | ||
| Macrovascular invasion (n) | 0 (0%) | NA | |
| Microvascular invasion (n) | 2 (8.7%) | NA | |
| Within Milan Criteria (n) | 17 (73.9%) | NA | NA |
| 8 edition AJCC tumor stage (n) | NA | NA | |
| Stage IA | 11 (47.8%) | ||
| Stage IB | 1 (4.3%) | ||
| Stage II | 9 (39.1%) | ||
| Stage IIIA | 2 (8.7%) | ||
| ABO-incompatible transplantation (n) | 4 (17.4%) | 3 (25.0%) | 0.416 |
| Graft-to-recipient weight ratio (mean) | 1.09±0.19 | 1.11±0.21 | 0.432 |
| Graft type (n) | |||
| Right liver graft | 23 (100%) | 12 (100%) | NA |
| Left liver graft | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Dual grafts | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Data are presented as mean±SD, or median (range), or n (%). HCC – hepatocellular carcinoma; MELD – model for end-stage liver disease; AJCC – American Joint Committee on Cancer; NA – not available. | |||