P3774 - Prolonged Statin Exposure Is Associated with a Decrease in Serum Alpha Fetoprotein in Liver Cirrhosis

Esteban Verduzco, MD, Waseem Amjad, MD, Raymond Chung, MD, Heidi Yeh, MD
Harvard, Boston, MA

Introduction: Few studies have examined the association between statin exposure and the biomarker Alpha Fetoprotein (AFP), used in detecting and monitoring hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), in liver cirrhosis since an in vitro study in 1999. There have been few follow-up studies investigating this possible association. In our study, we attempt to shed light on this controversial matter.

Methods: We selected 429 subjects with liver cirrhosis from the Massachusetts General Brigham health care system from 1 January 2004 to 25 July 2022. Data on statin usage, AFP values, and potential confounders known to increase AFP or HCC were collected. We compared the follow-up time, baseline levels of AFP, end of follow-up AFP levels, and difference in follow-up AFP values for both treatment groups. Multiple imputation was conducted to address missing data. We employed quantile regression to assess the differences of pre- and post-follow-up AFP levels between both groups.

Results: The median follow-up time for exposed and unexposed groups were 1.52 years and 1.65 years (p-value=0.57). Comparing median change of pre- and post-follow-up AFP levels yielded a difference between statin group of -0.71 ng/mL (p-value < 0.01, median=-0.5, IQR: - 1.50-0.00) and no statin group (median=-0.03, IQR: -1.00-0.75). Quantile regression resulted in a coefficient of -0.71(p-value = >< 0.01, 95%CI: -1.15 to -0.27), meaning that AFP decreased by 0.71 ng/mL in the statin exposed group in comparison to the un-exposed group.

Discussion: Our study demonstrates that statin exposure is associated with a decrease in AFP levels after a prolonged follow-up period compared to the statin unexposed group. Further, studies are encouraged to determine if these results can be replicated.


Disclosures:


Esteban Verduzco, MD, Waseem Amjad, MD, Raymond Chung, MD, Heidi Yeh, MD. P3774 - Prolonged Statin Exposure Is Associated with a Decrease in Serum Alpha Fetoprotein in Liver Cirrhosis, ACG 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting Abstracts. Vancouver, BC, Canada: American College of Gastroenterology.