Expression and alteration of insulin-like growth factor II-messenger RNA in hepatoma tissues and peripheral blood of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Table 4 Relationship between peripheral blood IGF-II mRNA or AFP mRNA and HCC stage or metastasis

Groups	n	IGF-II mRNA		AFP mRNA
		Positive	%	Positive	%
HCC Stage I	14	2	14.3a	5	35.7a
Stage II	31	6	19.4a	8	25.8a
Stage III	66	30	45.5	47	71.2
Intra-hepatic metastasis
With	67	27	40.3	44	65.7c
Without	44	11	25	18	40.9
Extrahepatic metastasis
With	13	13	100b	13	100b
Without	98	25	25.5	53	54.1

^aP<0.05 vs the HCC stage III group.

^bP<0.01,

^cP<0.05 vs the non-metastasis group. HCC: hepatocellular carcinoma.