Thymosin alpha-1 therapy improves postoperative survival after curative resection for solitary hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma: A propensity score matching analysis.
Linye. He H; Zijing. Xia X; Wei. Peng P; Chao. He H; Chuan. Li L; Tianfu. Wen W
Key Findings
- Tα1 improved immune markers after liver cancer surgery (p < .001).
- Patients receiving Tα1 had better recurrence‑free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) both before and after propensity score matching.
- Multivariate analysis showed Tα1 was an independent predictor of longer OS (HR = 0.308) and RFS (HR = 0.381).
Practical Outcomes
- For people dealing with hepatitis B‑related liver cancer, adding thymosin‑alpha‑1 after curative resection may improve survival, but it should only be done under medical supervision. The study does not provide dosing details, so self‑administration is not recommended. For the broader biohacker community, the finding is interesting but has limited direct application to general longevity or performance goals.
Summary
In patients who had surgery to remove a single liver tumor caused by hepatitis B, adding the immune‑boosting peptide thymosin‑alpha‑1 (Tα1) after the operation helped them live longer and reduced the chance the cancer would come back. The benefit was seen even after adjusting for other factors, and it didn’t change the virus levels, just the immune response.
Abstract
Thymosin alpha-1 (Tα1) is an immunomodulatory and antiviral agent with potential effects on chronic hepatitis B and liver cancer. Its impact on solitary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial, so we aimed to investigate the efficacy of Tα1 in solitary HBV-related HCC patients after curative resection.Between May 2010 and April 2016, 468 patients with solitary HBV-related HCC after curative resection were analyzed. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to minimize confounding variables. Risk factors were identified by the Cox proportional hazards model. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates, overall survival (OS) rates, immunological, and virologic response were compared.The median follow up was 60.0 months. Immunological response improved in the Tα1 group compared with the control group (P < .001) but the virologic response was similar between 2 groups after 24 months. Patients with Tα1 therapy had better RFS and OS before (P = .018 and P < .001) and after (P = .006 and P < .001) propensity matching. Multivariate analysis revealed that Tα1 therapy was an independent prognostic factor for both OS (P < .001, HR = 0.308, 95% CI: 0.175-0.541) and RFS (P < .001, HR = 0.381, 95% CI: 0.229-0.633).Tα1 as an adjuvant therapy improves the prognosis of solitary HBV-related HCC patients after curative liver resection.
Study Information
pubmed
2021
2021-05-21T00:00:00.000Z
10.1097/md.0000000000025749