Expression of bile duct-type cytokeratin in noncancerous hepatocytes in patients with hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Hepatocytes express bile duct-type cytokeratin in various conditions, which indicates the presence of hepatic progenitor cells. We investigated the clinical significance of cytokeratin 7 expression in the noncancerous hepatitis tissue in patients with hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.


METHODS
Specimens were obtained from 24 patients who underwent liver resection for hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma. The hepatocytes in the noncancerous hepatic tissue were examined immunohistochemically using monoclonal antibodies against cytokeratin 7.


RESULTS
Expression of cytokeratin 7 was observed in 9 patients (group 1). Group 2 consisted of the other 15 patients. Serum transaminases were significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2. The percentage of patients with moderate or severe active hepatitis, the percentage of patients with cirrhosis, and the percentage of patients with portal invasion were significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2. The tumor-free survival rate was significantly lower in group 1 than in group 2.


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of cytokeratin 7 in noncancerous hepatic tissue is closely related to the severity of and duration of chronic hepatitis B. The expression of cytokeratin 7 in the noncancerous hepatic tissue is a possible risk factor for recurrence after resection of hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.
Uenishi
Takahiro
T
Second Department of Surgery, Osaka City University Medical School, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
Kubo
Shoji
S
Hirohashi
Kazuhiro
K
Yamamoto
Takatsugu
T
Ogawa
Masao
M
Tanaka
Hiromu
H
Shuto
Taichi
T
Kinoshita
Hiroaki
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053552:Keratin-7; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
C507497:KRT7 protein, human; D053552:Keratin-7; D007633:Keratins