Gross appearance of hepatocellular carcinoma reflects E-cadherin expression and risk of early recurrence after surgical treatment.
OBJECTIVE
Correlation between the gross classification of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its vascular invasion or intrahepatic metastasis has been reported previously. Because E-cadherin-mediated epithelial cell-to-cell adhesion is thought to suppress cancer cell invasion, the present study was performed to analyze the correlation between E-cadherin expression and the gross classification of HCC.


METHODS
Thirty-six resected solitary HCC <6 cm in diameter were each classified as single nodular type (type 1), single nodular with extranodular growth type (type 2) or contiguous multinodular type (type 3), and the clinicopathological and prognostic differences between type 1 HCC and the other types were analyzed. The expression of E-cadherin in each tumor was examined by immunoblotting and immunohistochemical analysis.


RESULTS
Vascular invasion and microscopic intrahepatic metastasis were observed more frequently in types 2 and 3 (61%) than in type 1 (13%) HCC. Immunoblot analysis indicated that the relative level of E-cadherin expression in cancerous tissue was significantly lower in type 2 and 3 (0.75 +/- 0.49) than in type 1 (1.46 +/- 0.79) HCC. Immunohistochemical examination revealed decreased and partially absent E-cadherin expression in the tumorous area of type 2 and 3 HCC. The recurrence-free survival rate was higher for patients with type 1 HCC than for those with the other types.


CONCLUSIONS
Types 2 and 3 HCC have marked metastatic and invasive potential and reduced expression of E-cadherin, predicting a high risk of recurrence after surgical treatment.
Inayoshi
Jun
J
Department of Internal Medicine III, Niigata University School of Medicine, Niigata, Japan.
Ichida
Takafumi
T
Sugitani
Soichi
S
Tsuboi
Yasunori
Y
Genda
Takuya
T
Honma
Nobuyuki
N
Asakura
Hitoshi
H
D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007564:Japan; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000145:classification* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013997:Time Factors; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C495273:CTNNA1 protein, human; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin