Significance of downregulation of liver fatty acid-binding protein in hepatocellular carcinoma

Table 5 Relation between liver fatty acid-binding protein expression and other immunohistochemical markers n (%)

Immunostaining	Tumor size ≤2 cm		P value	Tumor size > 2 cm		P value	Total		P value
	L-FABP negative n = 11	L-FABP positive n = 74		L-FABP negative n = 5	L-FABP positive n = 56		L-FABP negative n = 16	L-FABP positive n = 130
CK 7			0.430			0.515			0.512
Negative	4 (36.4)	33 (44.6)		3 (60.0)	28 (50.0)		7 (43.8)	61 (46.9)
Positive	7 (63.6)	41 (55.4)		2 (40.0)	28 (50.0)		9 (56.2)	69 (53.1)
CK 19			0.423			0.703			0.301
Negative	11 (100)	68 (91.9)		5 (100)	52 (92.9)		16 (100)	120 (92.3)
Positive	0 (0)	6 (8.1)		0 (0)	4 (7.1)		0 (0)	10 (7.7)
β-catenin			0.009b			0.433			0.073
Negative	4 (36.4)	57 (77.0)		4 (80.0)	36 (64.3)		8 (50.0)	93 (71.5)
Positive	7 (63.6)	17 (23.0)		1 (20.0)	20 (35.7)		8 (50.0)	37 (28.5)
GS			0.000b			0.393			0.001b
Negative	3 (27.3)	62 (83.8)		3 (60.0)	42 (75.0)		6 (37.5)	104 (80.0)
Positive	8 (72.7)	12 (16.2)		2 (40.0)	14 (25.0)		10 (62.5)	26 (20.0)
SAA			0.268			0.918			0.301
Negative	11 (100)	65 (87.8)		5 (100)	55 (98.2)		16 (100)	120 (92.3)
Positive	0 (0)	9 (12.2)		0 (0)	1 (1.8)		0 (0)	10 (7.7)

^bP < 0.01, L-FABP-negative small HCCs vs L-FABP-positive small HCCs. L-FABP: Liver fatty acid-binding protein; CK: Cytokeratin; GS: Glutamine synthetase; SAA: Serum amyloid A; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma.