The Role of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-B (Vegf-B) in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by abnormal angiogenesis, and vascular endothelial growth factor-B (VEGF-B) has emerged as a potential contributor to its pathophysiology. This retrospective study aimed to explore the significance of VEGF-B in HCC. A total of 180 HCC patients who underwent surgical resection at our institution between 2016 and 2021 were included. VEGF-B expression in tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissues was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Associations with clinicopathological features, overall survival (OS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were analyzed. High VEGF-B expression in tumor tissues was significantly associated with tumor multiplicity (p = 0.03), microvascular invasion (p = 0.01), and higher AFP levels (p = 0.02). Multivariate analysis indicated that high tumor VEGF-B expression was an independent predictor of poor OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.9, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2 - 3.0, p = 0.008) and RFS (HR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1 - 2.6, p = 0.02). These findings suggest that VEGF-B may play a critical role in HCC progression and could serve as a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target.