Few reported studies examine the relationship between zinc (Zn) deficiency and short- and long-term outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing hepatic resection.

We retrospectively reviewed data from 179 consecutive patients who had undergone curative hepatic resection for HCC in our institute between January 2016 and May 2019. Zn deficiency was defined in accordance with the Japanese Society of Clinical Nutrition guidelines. We allocated the participants into two groups according to Zn deficiency status and analyzed the clinicopathological and short- and long-term outcomes.

In this series, 32 patients (17.8%) had Zn deficiency. Zn deficiency was significantly associated with older age, lower serum albumin, higher aspartate aminotransferase, lower hemoglobin, higher creatinine, lower prognostic nutritional index, higher liver fibrosis markers, albumin–bilirubin 2, portal hypertension, larger amount of estimated blood loss, larger amount of maximum ascites, longer hospital stay, postoperative complications, and liver-related complications. Concentrations of liver fibrosis markers were negatively correlated with serum Zn concentrations. Zn deficiency, albumin–bilirubin 2 and non-laparoscopic approach were identified as independent predictors of postoperative complications. Multivariate analyses revealed that the overall survival rate decreased in parallel with decreasing Zn concentrations.

In this study, Zn deficiency was significantly associated with poorer liver function, more severe liver fibrosis, higher incidence of postoperative complications, and worse overall survival according to multivariate analysis. Serum Zn status could serve as a new surrogate marker for predicting short- and long-term outcomes in patients undergoing hepatic resection for HCC.

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