Liver Collagen Contents Are Closely Associated with the Severity of Cirrhosis and Posthepatectomy Liver Failure in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Child–Pugh Grade A Liver Function

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is usually accompanied by different severities of cirrhosis, which is a risk factor for posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF). Collagen proportional area (CPA) measurements can quantitatively determine the collagen contents of liver tissue. This study explored the impact of CPA on PHLF, and further investigated the correlation between CPA and a non-invasive method, namely cirrhotic severity scoring (CSS), previously proposed by our team. Methods A total of 224 HCC patients with Child–Pugh grade A liver function undergoing hepatectomy between 2017 and 2019 were retrospectively studied. Quantitative digital image analysis of resected liver tissues was used for the CPA measurement. Risk factors for PHLF were subjected to univariate and multivariate analyses, and the correlation between CPA and CSS was analyzed. Results Overall, 28 (12.5%) patients experienced PHLF. Patients with PHLF had higher CPA values than those without PHLF ( p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed CPA and extent of hepatectomy to be independent risk factors for PHLF. CPA values were divided into four stages based on their quartiles (C1: < 6.6%; C2: 6.6–10.7%; C3: 10.7–18.0%; C4: ≥ 18.0%). The incidence of PHLF increased with increasing CPA stages ( p < 0.001). Furthermore, CSS was significantly correlated with CPA ( r = 0.720; p < 0.001). The incidence of PHLF also increased with increasing severity of cirrhosis evaluated by CSS ( p < 0.001). Conclusions In HCC patients with Child–Pugh grade A liver function, cirrhosis could be staged by liver collagen contents, which significantly influenced PHLF. Furthermore, CSS was useful in the preoperative evaluation of cirrhotic severity.