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Expression of heparanase in tissue microarrays of primary hepatocellular carcinoma and its significance
Gang Chen, Yi-Wu Dang, Dian-Zhong Luo, Zhen-Bo Feng, Xiao-Ling Tang
Gang Chen, Yi-Wu Dang, Dian-Zhong Luo, Zhen-Bo Feng, Xiao-Ling Tang, Department of Pathology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Supported by: Chinese University PhD Division Special Science Research Fund Project, No. 20050598005; Science Research and Technology Exploitation Program Application Basic Research Projects of Guangxi, No. 0639040.
Correspondence to: Dian-Zhong Luo, Department of Pathology, Guangxi Medical University, Shuangyong Road, Nanjing 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. luodianzhong@yahoo.com.cn
Received: July 12, 2007 Revised: November 3, 2007 Accepted: November 28, 2007 Published online: November 28, 2007
AIM: To investigate the expression of heparanase in tissue microarrays of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and its clinical significance.
METHODS: Tissue microarrays comprised 125 tissues from HCC, 48 from tumor-adjacent liver, 62 from cirrhosis, and 23 from normal liver. Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect the expression of heparanase. Correlation between the expression and clinicopathological features of HCC was analyzed statistically.
RESULTS: The positive rate of HPA in HCC tissues (45.83%) was significantly higher than that in the adjacent-tumor liver (27.08%) (χ2 = 2.23, P < 0.05, cirrhosis (6.45%) (χ2 = 5.262, P < 0.05) and normal liver tissues (4.35%) (χ2 = 3.895, P < 0.05). Heparanase expression in tumor-adjacent tissues was significantly higher than that in cirrhosis (χ2 = 2.882, P < 0.05) and normal liver (χ2 = 2.361, P < 0.05). The rate of heparanase expression in HCC tissues in TNM stage I and II tumors was significantly lower than that in the stage III and IV tumors (29.41% vs 67.31%; χ2 = 4.111, P < 0.05); the rate of heparanase in cases without metastasis within 20 months was significantly lower than that in those with metastasis (14.71% vs 63.33%; χ2 = 3.978, P < 0.05). HPA expression in patients with AFP ≥ 400 μg/L was 52.05%, 71.74% in portal vein tumor embolus, 73.91% in multiple tumor nodes, and 57.89% in tumors ≥ 5 cm diameter. This was significantly higher than in patients with AFP < 400 μg/L (36.17%; χ2 = 2.071, P < 0.05), without tumor embolus (29.73%; χ2 = 4.472, P < 0.05), single tumor node (28.38%; χ2 = 4.847, P < 0.05), and tumor diameter < 5 cm (25%; χ2 = 3.471, P < 0.05). Heparanase expression was not associated with patient age, sex, histological classification, cirrhosis or tumor capsular infiltration.
CONCLUSION: Overexpression of heparanase plays an important role in the pathogenesis, development and metastases of HCC. The heparanase gene serves as an important molecular biological indicator in diagnosing and predicating the biological behavior of HCC patients.
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