Brief Article
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World J Gastroenterol. Apr 21, 2011; 17(15): 2037-2043
Published online Apr 21, 2011. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v17.i15.2037
DEC1 nuclear expression: A marker of differentiation grade in hepatocellular carcinoma
Xiao-Hong Shi, Yan Zheng, Qing Sun, Jing Cui, Qing-Hua Liu, Fei Qü, Yun-Shan Wang
Xiao-Hong Shi, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250014, Shandong Province, China
Yan Zheng, Yun-Shan Wang, Shandong Province Key Lab of Tumor Target Molecule, Jinan Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250013, Shandong Province, China
Yan Zheng, Central Laboratory, Jinan Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250013, Shandong Province, China
Qing Sun, Jing Cui, Department of Pathology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250014, Shandong Province, China
Qing-Hua Liu, Department of Respiratory, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250021, Shandong Province, China
Fei Qü, Department of Pathology, Jinan Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250013, Shandong Province, China
Yun-Shan Wang, Medical Research and Laboratory Diagnostic Center, Jinan Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250013, Shandong Province, China
Author contributions: Shi XH and Zheng Y contributed equally to this paper; Shi XH performed the majority of experiments; Liu QH and Wang YS provided vital reagents and analytical tools and were also involved in editing the manuscript; Sun Q, Cui J and Qü F collected all the human material and did the pathological assay; Shi XH, Zheng Y and Wang YS designed the study and wrote the manuscript.
Supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81000869; the “Spring City Scholars” Construction Project of Jinan City (Q2-06), the Key Projects of Science and Technology of Jinan City, No. 200807027; and the Youth Science and Technology Star Project of Jinan City, No. 20080210
Correspondence to: Yun-Shan Wang, Professor, Medical Research and Laboratory Diagnostic Center, Jinan Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250013, Shandong Province, China. wys20739@126.com
Telephone: +86-531-86565617 Fax: +86-531-86565617
Received: September 27, 2010
Revised: December 12, 2010
Accepted: December 19, 2010
Published online: April 21, 2011
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the expression patterns of human differentiated embryo chondrocyte 1 (DEC1) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and corresponding adjacent non-tumor and the normal liver tissues, the association between DEC1 expression and histopathological variables and the role of DEC1 in hepatocarcinogenesis.

METHODS: The expression of DEC1 was detected immunohistochemically in 176 paraffin-embedded sections from 63 patients with HCC and 50 subjects with normal liver tissues.

RESULTS: DEC1 protein was persistently expressed in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes in normal liver and HCC tissues. Compared with adjacent non-tumor liver tissues, HCC tissues showed high nuclear expression of DEC1 protein. However, high DEC1 nuclear expression was more frequently detected in well-differentiated (83.3%) than in moderately (27.3%) and poorly differentiated HCC (16.7%). Low DEC1 expression was associated with poor histological differentiation and malignancy progression. A correlation was found between the nuclear expression of DEC1 protein and histological differentiation (r = 0.376, P = 0.024).

CONCLUSION: DEC1 is expressed in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes and because nuclear DEC1 expression is decreased with decreasing differentiation status of HCC, nuclear DEC1 might be a marker of HCC differentiation.

Keywords: Differentiated embryo chondrocyte 1; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Differentiation; Immunohistochemistry