[Immunohistochemical detection of p21ras, c-myc and p53 oncoproteins in hepatocellular carcinoma and in non-neoplastic liver tissue].
BACKGROUND
Genetic and epigenetic alterations have been described in animal hepatocarcinogenesis models but need to be studied in human being.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the immunoreactivity of p21ras, c-myc and p53 oncoproteins in hepatocellular carcinoma and non neoplastic tissue. Association of the immunoreactivity of these markers with histological grades and patterns, hepatitis B and C were additionally studied.


METHODS
Detection of oncoproteins p21ras, c-myc and p53 was performed immunohistochemically in hepatocellular carcinoma (47 cases) and surrounding non neoplastic liver tissue (40 cases).


RESULTS
Oncoproteins p21ras, c-myc and p53 were detected in 44,7%, 53,2% and 36,2% of the hepatocellular carcinoma cases, respectively. The p21ras and c-myc immunoreactivity has shown a significant association. However there was no association of p21ras, c-myc and p53 detection with hepatitis B and C virus infections, histological grades and patterns. The same significant association between p21ras and c-myc was observed in non-neoplastic tissue with cirrhosis when compared with tissue without it. The p53 immunoreactivity was negative in all non-neoplastic liver tissue samples.


CONCLUSIONS
The immunoreactivity detection of p21ras, c-myc and p53 corroborates previous evidence of their detection in hepatocellular carcinoma that suggest the participation of these proteins in human hepatocarcinogenesis. The significant association between p21ras and c-myc oncoproteins in hepatocellular carcinoma and in cirrhosis can point to an interaction between them mainly, in hepatocarcinogenesis that occurs through cirrhosis.
Pannain
Vera Lucia Nunes
VL
Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. pannain@hucff.ufrj.br
Bottino
Adriana Caroli
AC
Santos
Raimunda Telma M
RT
Coelho
Henrique Sérgio M
HS
Ribeiro-Filho
Joaquim
J
Alves
Venâncio A F
VA
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000737:chemistry*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000378:metabolism; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000032:analysis*; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000032:analysis*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis*
D015415:Biomarkers; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C501009:HRAS protein, human; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)