Clinical significance of immune cell and biomarker changes in liver cancer

Table 1 Comparison of blood cell analysis, blood biochemical indexes, and carcinoembryonic antigen indexes (mean ± SD)

Indicators	PLC group (n = 30)	Control group (n = 30)	t	P value
White blood cells (× 109/L)	5.89 ± 0.65	6.02 ± 0.73	0.728	0.469
Neutrophils (× 109/L)	3.41 ± 0.29	3.35 ± 0.24	0.873	0.386
Lymphocytes (× 109/L)	1.56 ± 0.45	2.01 ± 0.57	3.394	0.001
Red blood cells (× 1012/L)	4.21 ± 0.34	4.75 ± 0.39	5.716	< 0.001
Hemoglobin (g/L)	117.48 ± 12.54	146.33 ± 11.48	9.294	< 0.001
Blood platelets (× 109/L)	199.02 ± 18.36	198.46 ± 20.11	0.113	0.911
GPT (U/L)	76.54 ± 6.57	23.88 ± 3.15	39.586	< 0.001
GOT (U/L)	68.82 ± 5.33	20.46 ± 4.28	38.749	< 0.001
Total protein (g/L)	56.37 ± 6.88	71.52 ± 6.75	8.609	< 0.001
Albumin (g/L)	25.78 ± 3.13	41.33 ± 3.62	17.798	< 0.001
Globulin (g/L)	0.65 ± 0.11	1.03 ± 0.23	8.164	< 0.001
BUN (μmol/L)	4.61 ± 0.52	4.65 ± 0.47	0.313	0.756
Scr (μmol/L)	302.58 ± 26.79	299.47 ± 23.85	0.475	0.637
CEA (μg/L)	13.65 ± 1.88	2.84 ± 0.49	30.476	< 0.001

BUN: Blood urea nitrogen; CEA: Carcinoembryonic antigen; GOT: Glutamic oxalacetic transaminase; GPT: Glutamic-pyruvic transaminase; PLC: Primary liver cancer; Scr: Serum creatinine.

Table 2 Comparison of peripheral blood natural killer T cell subset levels between the two groups (mean ± SD)

Indicators	PLC group (n = 30)	Control group (n = 30)	t	P value
CD4+NKT	5.52 ± 0.88	5.18 ± 0.94	1.446	0.154
CD8+NKT	3.12 ± 0.37	3.09 ± 0.46	0.278	0.782
CD3+CD56+NKT	6.68 ± 0.52	6.47 ± 0.63	1.408	0.165
CD8+CD56+NKT	8.35 ± 1.01	6.77 ± 0.74	6.912	< 0.001
CD3+CD161+NKT	14.36 ± 1.55	12.82 ± 1.87	3.473	0.001
CD3-CD161+NKT	12.08 ± 1.34	7.69 ± 0.93	14.742	< 0.001

CD: Cluster of differentiation; NKT: Natural killer T cell; PLC: Primary liver cancer.

Table 3 Comparison of peripheral serum tumor marker levels in the two groups (mean ± SD)

Indicators	PLC group (n = 30)	Control group (n = 30)	t	P value
AFP (ng/mL)	335.71 ± 20.89	2.45 ± 0.73	87.325	< 0.001
GGT (U/mL)	136.87 ± 15.62	34.41 ± 4.55	34.494	< 0.001

AFP: Alpha fetoprotein; GGT: Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase; PLC: Primary liver cancer.

Table 4 Diagnostic value of peripheral natural killer cell subsets as well as alpha fetoprotein and glutamyl transpeptidase in primary liver cancer

Indicators	Cut-off	AUC	Sensitivity (%)	Specificity (%)	Youden index	95%CI	P value
CD8+CD56+NKT	> 7.30%	0.686	70.00	66.67	0.367	0.550-0.822	0.007
CD3+CD161+NKT	> 13.80%	0.786	83.33	80.00	0.633	0.659-0.912	< 0.001
CD3-CD161+NKT	> 11.01%	0.758	80.00	76.67	0.567	0.627-0.888	< 0.001
AFP	> 309.65 ng/mL	0.628	56.67	76.67	0.333	0.482-0.774	0.086
GGT	> 114.79 U/mL	0.568	53.33	66.67	0.200	0.420-0.716	0.370
Combined	-	0.898	86.67	80.00	0.667	0.817-0.979	< 0.001

AFP: Alpha fetoprotein; AUC: Area under the curve; CD: Cluster of differentiation; GGT: Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase; NKT: Natural killer T cell; PLC: Primary liver cancer.