Paracancerous binuclear hepatocytes assessed by computer program is a novel biomarker for short term recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after surgery

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is notorious for its high likelihood of recurrence even after radical surgery, which calls for effective adjuvant therapy based on more precise patient selection. The decline of the abundance of binuclear hepatocytes (ABH) in paracancerous liver tissues has been reported to indicate pathological changes in liver cells, leading to short-term recurrence within 2 years. In this research, we analyzed 34 HCC patients and 22 patients underwent liver surgery for non-HCC diseases. An ImageJ script was used to assess binuclear hepatocytes in the HE-staining specimens of paracancerous liver tissues. ABH significantly decreased in HCC patients and indicated poorer outcomes. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays suggested ploidy-related regulation of arginase 1 (ARG1) expression. Our findings suggested computer-assisted assessment of ABH as a possible biomarker for short-term HCC recurrence.