Linker phosphorylation of Smad3 promotes fibro-carcinogenesis in chronic viral hepatitis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Figure 2 Hepatic fibro-carcinogenesis: reciprocal change in linker phosphorylated and COOH-terminally phosphorylated Smad3 pathways. The linker phosphorylated Smad3 (pSmad3L)/c-Myc pathway shows increasing prominence in hepatocytes, as hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected liver progresses from chronic hepatitis, through cirrhosis to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In contrast to the intense staining for pSmad3L and c-Myc, the COOH-terminally phosphorylated Smad3 (pSmad3C)/p21^WAF1 pathway staining decreases in hepatocytes as liver disease progresses toward HCC.