title: Predictive value of biological markers for hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with orthotopic liver transplantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To help stratify candidates with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), biomarkers are needed that are capable of predicting recurrence of disease (ROD). We investigated the prognostic role in this setting of immunohistochemical markers reported previously to predict poor prognosis in HCC patients treated with resection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-three patients with HCC who underwent OLT between 1987 and 2001 with a minimum clinical follow up of 12 months were included in this retrospective study. We analyzed immunohistochemical expression of the adhesion molecules E-cadherin and beta-catenin (membrane/nuclear localization), MIB-1 proliferative index and the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27, alongside the main clinical-pathological variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At univariate analysis, vascular thrombosis, high MIB-1 index, lower membrane expression of E-cadherin and beta-catenin, and nuclear beta-catenin localization were associated with ROD. At multivariate analysis, only MIB-1 index, low equal E-cadherin (with respect to non-neoplastic surrounding tissue), and nuclear beta-catenin appeared as independent predictors of ROD. The logistic regression analysis model indicated that detection of any one parameter was associated with at least 88% estimated risk of ROD (up to 99% for all three).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We propose these three molecular parameters as an additional tool for rational selection of OLT candidates among HCC patients (stratification according to the risk of ROD might help provide a similar life expectancy for cirrhotic candidates with and without HCC).
authors.affiliation: Pathology Unit of the "F. Addarii" Institute of Oncology, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Hopital Edouard Herriot, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Michelangelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiorentino
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Altimari
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ravaioli
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gruppioni
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gabusi
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Corti
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vivarelli
authors.forename: Pierre-Paul
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Bringuier
authors.forename: Jean-Yves
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Scoazec
authors.forename: Walter Franco
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Grigioni
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Errico-Grigioni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012008:Recurrence; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor