title: Effect of phosphorylation of MAPK and Stat3 and expression of c-fos and c-jun proteins on hepatocarcinogenesis and their clinical significance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of phosphorylation of MAPK and Stat3 and the expression of c-fos and c-jun proteins on hepatocellular carcinogenesis and their clinical significance.
  
  
  METHODS
  SP immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of p42/44(MAPK), p-Stat3, c-fos and c-jun proteins in 55 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) and their surrounding liver tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rates and expression levels of p42/44(MAPK), p-Stat3, c-fos and c-jun proteins in HCCs were significantly higher than those in pericarcinomatous liver tissues (PCLT). A positive correlation was observed between the expression of p42/44(MAPK) and c-fos proteins,and between p-Stat3 and c-jun but there was no significant correlation between p42/44(MAPK) and p-Stat3 in HCCs and their surrounding liver tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The abnormalities of Ras/Raf/MAPK and JAKs/Stat3 cascade reaction may contribute to malignant transformation of hepatocytes. Hepatocytes which are positive for p42/44(MAPK), c-fos or c-jun proteins may be potential malignant pre-cancerous cells. Activation of MAPK and Stat3 proteins may be an early event in hepatocellular carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hunan Medical University, Changsha 410078, Hunan Province, China. cslj4841401@public.cs.hn.cn
authors.forename: D Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: R X
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000378:metabolism; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases