title: Immunohistochemical localization of metallothionein in hepatocellular carcinoma: preferential expression in non-cancerous cirrhotic nodules.
abstract: Metallothionein (MT), an oncofocal gene product was strongly expressed in 35%-95% of hepatocytes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and MT-positive hepatocytes were localized mainly in the non-cancerous cirrhotic nodules but not in malignant hepatocytes. On the other hand, <10% hepatocytes showed weak staining for MT in chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis of liver. Strong expressions of MT in non-cancerous cirrhotic nodule in HCC and low expressions in liver cirrhosis without HCC indicate a relationship between malignant transformation of hepatocytes and the expression of MT.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Ehime University School of Medicine, Shigenobu-Cho, Ehime 791-0295, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanimoto
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Akbar
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Michitaka
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Horiike
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onji
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D008668:Metallothionein