OBJECTIVETo study the expression of E-cadherin and CD34 in the tissues of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), to discuss the relationship between them and the clinical pathology and evaluate the prognosis of HCC patients.

METHODSThe expression of E-cadherin and CD34 in HCC tissues of 41 patients were examined by two-step methods of PV-6000 of immunohistochemistry. Clinical-pathological data, tumor recurrent rate and survival rate after hepatectomy were recorded and analyzed.

RESULTSThe positive expression rate was observed in 48.78% for E-cadherin and 100% for CD34. The decreased E-cadherin expression were significantly associated with larger tumor, the high-dangerous group with invasion and poor differentiation of HCC tissues (chi(2) = 4.1881, 4.8118, 6.2695, P < 0.05). In the group with negative-expression of E-cadherin, the percent of tumor recurrence within 2 years after hepatectomy was higher and the rate of 5 years survival was significantly lower than the positive-expressed group. A significant negative-correlation between the expression of CD34 and the patients' age and the invasion of tumor (t = 1.9371, 1.9010, P < 0.05) were found. There was no relationship between the expression of E-cadherin and CD34 in HCC tissues.

CONCLUSIONSThe patient with a negative-expression of E-cadherin in HCC tissues has a poor prognosis. No relationship between the expression of CD34 and tumor recurrence and patients' survival and no relationship between the expression of E-cadherin and CD34 was found.