Expression of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) in human hepatocellular carcinomas: an immunohistochemical study.
Recent results obtained using molecular biology techniques have suggested a possible role for insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To investigate this phenomenon, a monoclonal antibody was used against IGF-II to study 54 patients with HCC. The presence of HBsAg was also tested both in serum and liver tissue. A positive immunoreaction was found in 9/15 (60%) of the HCC arising in cirrhotic livers of patients who had serum markers for HBV (HBV + positive patients). These results provide further evidence that HBV might play a role in the expression of IGF-II. In HCC of patients without any markers of HBV infection (HBV- negative patients), IGF-II was detected in 10/39 (25.6%) of the tumors, and in some benign neoplastic lesions. It was found not only in neoplastic cells but also in some dysplastic nodules. The speculation arises that IGF-II expression may play a role in some steps of hepato-carcinogenesis.
Institute of Pathological Anatomy, University of Bologna, Italy.
A
A
D'Errico
W F
WF
Grigioni
M
M
Fiorentino
P
P
Baccarini
E
E
Lamas
S
S
De Mitri
G
G
Gozzetti
A M
AM
Mancini
C
C
Brechot
D000328:Adult; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000378:metabolism; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000032:analysis*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000196:embryology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II