Brief Reports
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 28, 2005; 11(32): 5015-5018
Published online Aug 28, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i32.5015
Alpha-fetoprotein expression is a potential prognostic marker in hepatocellular carcinoma
Dénes Görög, János Regöly-Mérei, Sándor Paku, László Kopper, Péter Nagy
Dénes Görög, Department of Transplantation and Surgery, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
János Regöly-Mérei, Third Department of Surgery, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
Sándor Paku, Joint Research Organization of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
László Kopper, Péter Nagy, First Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the National Science Foundation of Hungary, No. OTKA 42674
Correspondence to: Péter Nagy, First Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Üllõi út 26, H-1086, Hungary. nagy@korb1.sote.hu
Telephone: +36-1-2661638 Fax: +36-1-3171074
Received: October 26, 2004
Revised: December 15, 2004
Accepted: December 20, 2004
Published online: August 28, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To characterize the alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) positive and negative hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) samples.

METHODS: Thirty-seven paraffin-embedded human HCC samples were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for the following antigens: AFP, β-catenin, p53, CD44, MSH-2, MLH-1, and HNF-4. The tumors were divided into two groups based on the AFP expression. The immunophenotypic data and important clinical parameters were studied between the two groups.

RESULTS: Twenty-one of the thirty-seven examined HCCs were AFP positive. Seven with nuclear p53 staining were AFP positive, while seven tumors with nuclear β-catenin staining were AFP negative. CD44 staining and high histological tumor grade were more frequent among the AFP-positive HCCs. The other immunophenotypical and clinical parameters did not show statistically significant difference in their distribution between the AFP positive and negative samples.

CONCLUSION: AFP expression in HCC correlates with unfavorable prognostic factors, while nuclear β-catenin positivity is more common among the AFP-negative liver tumors. This observation supports the microarray data on in vivo human tumors.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Alpha-fetoprotein; p53; β-catenin; CD44