24 March 2026 : Original article
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Liver Transplantation: Safety Under an Immunosuppression-Preserving Strategy
Shih-Chao Hsu ABCDEF 1,2*, Sheng-Hsien Chen AE 1,2, Te-Hong Chen AE 1,2, Wei-Fan Hsu AE 3, Hung-Wei Wang AE 3,4, Chun-Chieh Yeh AE 1,2,3,5, Horng-Ren Yang AE 1,2, Hsueh-Chou Lai AE 3, Long-Bin Jeng AE 1,2DOI: 10.12659/AOT.952135
Ann Transplant 2026; 31:e952135
Table 4 Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses for progression-free survival among liver transplantation recipients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors.
| Variable | Univariable HR | 95% CI | P value | Multivariable HR | 95% CI | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LT to recurrence <1 year | 3.47 | 1.24–9.72 | 2.98 | 1.03–8.61 | ||
| AFP >100 ng/mL | 2.56 | 1.04–6.29 | 1.95 | 0.78–4.90 | 0.153 | |
| mALBI grade 2a&2b vs 1 | 2.17 | 0.79–5.92 | 0.132 | – | ||
| Everolimus use | 1.58 | 0.61–4.06 | 0.343 | – | ||
| Steroid use | 2.30 | 0.93–5.69 | 0.071 | – | ||
| No. of IS classification >2 | 1.75 | 0.74–4.12 | 0.200 | – | ||
| Within UCSF criteria | 0.61 | 0.24–1.53 | 0.289 | – | ||
| Macrovascular invasion | 1.10 | 0.45–2.65 | 0.835 | – | ||
| Microvascular invasion | 0.74 | 0.28–1.95 | 0.537 | – | ||
| IS – immunosuppressant; LT – liver transplantation; ICIs – immune checkpoint inhibitor; HR – hazard ratio; UCSF – University of California San Francisco. | ||||||