Brief Article
Copyright ©2012 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 7, 2012; 18(45): 6651-6656
Published online Dec 7, 2012. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i45.6651
Overexpression of lysine specific demethylase 1 predicts worse prognosis in primary hepatocellular carcinoma patients
Ze-Kun Zhao, Hai-Feng Yu, Dao-Rong Wang, Ping Dong, Lei Chen, Wen-Guang Wu, Wen-Jun Ding, Ying-Bin Liu
Ze-Kun Zhao, Ping Dong, Lei Chen, Wen-Guang Wu, Wen-Jun Ding, Ying-Bin Liu, Department of General Surgery, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200092, China
Hai-Feng Yu, Department of General Surgery, Yixing People’s Hospital, Yixing 214200, Jiangsu Province, China
Dao-Rong Wang, Department of General Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu Province, China
Author contributions: Zhao ZK and Liu YB designed the study; Zhao ZE, Yu HF, Dong P and Ding WJ performed the majority of the experiments; Wang DR performed the data analysis; Chen L and Wu WG supervised the experimental work; Liu YB wrote the manuscript and is fully responsible for the management of the study; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Correspondence to: Ying-Bin Liu, Professor, Department of General Surgery, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, No. 1665 Kongjiang Rd., Shanghai 200092, China. yingbinliu02@yahoo.com.cn
Telephone: +86-20-8234245 Fax: +86-20-83647362
Received: June 23, 2012
Revised: August 10, 2012
Accepted: August 25, 2012
Published online: December 7, 2012
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the clinicopathological features and prognostic value of lysine specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS: We examined LSD1 expression in 60 paired liver cancer tissues and adjacent noncancerous tissues by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting. In addition, we analyzed LSD1 expression in 198 HCC samples by immunohistochemistry. The relationship between LSD1 expression, clinicopathological features and patient survival was investigated.

RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and qRT-PCR consistently confirmed LSD1 overexpression in HCC tissues compared to adjacent non-neoplastic tissues (P < 0.01). Additionally, immunostaining showed more LSD1-positive cells in the higher tumor stage (T3-4) and tumor grade (G3) than in the lower tumor stage (T1-2, P < 0.001) and tumor grade (G1-2, P < 0.001), respectively. Moreover, HCC patients with high LSD1 expression had significantly lower 5-year overall survival rates (P < 0.001) and lower 5-year disease-free survival rates (P < 0.001), respectively. A Cox proportional hazards model further demonstrated that LSD1 over-expression was an independent predictor of poor prognosis for both 5-year disease-free survival [hazards ratio (HR) = 1.426, 95%CI: 0.672-2.146, P < 0.001] and 5-year overall survival (HR = 2.456, 95%CI: 1.234-3.932, P < 0.001) in HCC.

CONCLUSION: Our data suggest for the first time that the overexpression of LSD1 protein in HCC tissues indicates tumor progression and predicts poor prognosis.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Lysine specific demethylase 1; Tumor progression; Prognosis