Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Hepatocytes ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression and clinical significance of EphA7 protein in primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

METHODSImmunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to detect the expression of EphA7 protein in 40 cases of primary hepatocellular carcinoma, their corresponding adjacent liver tissues and 10 cases of normal liver tissues. The relations with its clinical pathological parameters were analyzed too.

RESULTSExpression of EphA7 protein was mainly located in the cytoplasm and the blood vessels of the septa, which was found in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues, their corresponding adjacent liver tissues and normal liver tissues. Western blot analysis showed that the expression level of EphA7 protein in hepatocellular carcinoma (0.58 +/- 0.26) was greater than that in corresponding adjacent liver tissues (0.40 +/- 0.22, P < 0.05) and normal liver tissues (0.32 +/- 0.16, P < 0.05). But it had no significant difference between corresponding adjacent liver tissues and normal liver tissues (P > 0.05). EphA7 protein expression was correlated with histological differentiation, tumor thrombi in portal vein, lymph node metastasis and high AFP level (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSEphA7 protein expression is significantly correlated with the biological behavior of primary hepatocellular carcinoma. The high expression of EphA7 protein may play an important role in the malignancy transformation, invasion progression and metastasis of primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Receptor, EphA7 ; metabolism

Antigens, CD ; genetics ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Tetraspanin 24

OBJECTIVETo observe the change in the amount of sialic acids on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell membrane.

METHODSSurgical specimens of HCC and liver cirrhosis tissues were obtained from 28 patients to prepare carcinoma cell and hepatocyte suspensions by collagenase digestion. For assay of α2, 3 and α2, 6-sialic acids, the cells were suspended in the staining buffer containing either fluorescein isothiocyanate-Maackia amurensis lectin (FITC-MAL) or fluorescein isothiocyanate-Sambucus nigra bark lectin (FITC-SNA) and incubated for 1 h, respectively. Flow cytometric analysis was carried out to measure the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) on the cell surface.

RESULTSIn both FITC-MAL- and FITC-SNA-incubated HCC cells, the MFI on the cell surface was greater than that of the hepatocytes.

CONCLUSIONBoth of α2, 3 and α2, 6- sialic acids increases significantly on the hepatocyte membrane after the carcinomatous change.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Membrane ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Sialic Acids ; metabolism

Alteration of beta-catenin expression has been implicated in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It has been also reported that beta-catenin can influence the tumor cell proliferation or cyclin D1 expression, one of the target factors of beta-catenin. We performed an immunohistochemical analysis of beta-catenin and cyclin D1 in 77 patients with resected HCCs, and examined the relationships between the expressions of beta-catenin and cyclin D1, and other pathologic parameters including the mitotic index. Altered expressions of beta-catenin including nonnuclear overexpression and nuclear expression were detected in 58.4% of HCCs (45/77) and showed significant correlations with large tumor size, poor histologic grade, and high tumor stage. The mean mitotic index of HCCs with nuclear expression (3.2 +/- 3.0) and nonnuclear overexpression (2.7 +/- 2.5) was significantly higher than that of tumors with no overexpression (1.7 +/- 1.4) (p=0.018 and 0.038, respectively), however, no correlation was noted between the expressions of cyclin D1 and beta;-catenin. In addition, nonnuclear overexpression out of two altered expression patterns was more frequent (37.7% versus 20.8%) as well as pathologically more significant than nuclear expression. These results indicate that the altered expression of beta-catenin in HCC may play an important role in tumor progression by stimulating tumor cell proliferation, and nonnuclear overexpression may have pathologic significance in HCC.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology ; Cell Division* ; Cyclin D1/metabolism* ; Cytoskeletal Proteins/metabolism* ; Human ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Liver Neoplasms/pathology ; Trans-Activators/metabolism*

To investigate the expression and clinical significance of p27kip1 protein in primary liver cancer, the expression of p27kip1 protein and the relationship with clinicopathological factors were studied in primary liver cancer by using SABC immunohistochemical staining in specimens of 40 cases of primary liver cancer and 20 cases of liver cirrihosis. Our results showed that positive expression rate of p27kip1 protein in primary liver cancer was 37.5% (15/40), which was lower than that in benign lesion of liver 80.0% (16/20, P<0.01). The expression level of p27kip1 protein in primary liver cancer showed significant differences in tumor size, Edmonson histological grade, portal invasion, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage (P<0.05, for all), but not significantly correlated with patient's age and histological types. Log rank test showed that the p27kip1 expression was significantly related with prognosis of the patients (P<0.05), and the prognosis of the patients with p27kip1 positive expression was markedly better than that of those with p27kip1 negative expression. It is concluded that the expression of p27kip1 was significantly related clinicopathological factors of primary liver cancer. p27kip1 protein may be used as a novel tumor marker for primary liver cancer.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*metabolism ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/*metabolism ; Liver Neoplasms/*metabolism ; Liver Neoplasms/pathology ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tumor Markers, Biological/*metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation between the expressions of glypican-3 (GPC3) and Notch1 and their roles in the tumorigenesis and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSImmunohistochemistry and computerized image analysis were utilized to quantitatively detect the expressions of GPC3 and Notch1 in 30 HCC tissue specimens.

RESULTSIn the 30 HCC specimens, GPC3 expression decreased significantly as the grade of tumor differentiation increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while Notch1 expression presented with a reverse pattern of changes (P<0.05 or P<0.01). An obvious negative correlation was found between the expressions of GPC3 and Notch1 in HCC tissues (rp=-0.607, P=0.000; r=-0.692, P=0.000).

CONCLUSIONThe expressions of GPC3 and Notch1 show a negative correlation in HCC, suggesting a possible mechanism for mutual regulation between them to contribute to the tumorigenesis and progression of HCC.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Glypicans ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Receptor, Notch1 ; metabolism

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Phosphoproteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expressions of leptin and leptin receptor in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and explore the clinicopathological significance.

METHODSThe expressions of leptin and leptin receptor were examined by immunohistochemistry in 81 HCC patients undergoing curative tumor resection. The correlations between the expression of two biomarkers and the clinicopathological factors were analyzed.

RESULTSThe overexpression rate of leptin and leptin receptor in HCC was 56.8% and 35.8%, respectively. No significant correlation was observed between their overexpression (r=0.236, P=0.034). Leptin receptor overexpression was significantly correlated to the tumor size and TNM stage (P<0.05), but not to age, body mass index, α-fetoprotein, hepatitis B surface antigen status, tumor grade, vascular invasion, or liver cirrhosis (P≥0.05). Leptin overexpression showed no significant correlations to the above clinicopathological factors (P≥0.05).

CONCLUSIONLeptin receptor overexpression may have an inhibitory effect on hepatocellular carcinoma. The expression status of leptin receptor decides the action of leptin and leptin receptor after their binding.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Leptin ; metabolism ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Receptors, Leptin ; metabolism