Clinical significance of expression of metastasis-associated splice variants of CD44 mRNA in early primary liver cancer

Table 1 Expression of CD44v mRNA and clinical and pathological details of 8 patients with early primary liver cancer

Case No.	Sex	Age, years	Diameter of Tumor, cm	Expression Intensity of CD44v mRNA	DTC	PTC	TEPV	DTN	AFP, µg/L	Time of H, years	Cirrhosis	DCC
1	M	45	3	758.23	-		+	+	< 25	4	+	III
2	M	54	3	47.82	+	-	-	-	< 25	18	+	II
3	M	52	2	42.08	+	-	-	-	< 25	20	+	II
4	M	46	3	218.55	-	-	+	+	< 25	15	+	III
5	M	32	2.2	95.06	+	+	-	+	< 25	7	+	III
6	M	35	2.5	130.4	+	+	-	+	< 25	11	+	II
7	M	29	2.7	210.99	+	+	-	+	< 25	16	+	II
8	M	34	2	88.19	+	+	+	+	1000	12	+	III

No patient showed any clinical symptom of PLC and the levels of serum AFP were normal in 7 of the 8 cases. The hepatic masses of these patients were discovered by B-ultrasound on occasion, and the diagnoses of PLC were confirmed by CT or MRI and pathological examinations. All steps of this work were standardized as much as possible. Expression intensity of CD44v mRNA was shown by gray values of images of Southern blotting results. +: yes; -: no; DTC: Deficiency of tumor capsule; PTC: Penetration of tumor capsule; TEPV: Tumor embolus in portal vein under microscope; DTN: Daughter tumor nodules under microscope; DCC: Differentiation of tumor cells; H: Hepatitis B; PLC: Primary liver cancer; AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein.