Hepatoma-derived growth factor is a novel prognostic factor for hepatocellular carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) is involved in hepatocarcinogenesis, as well as in liver development and regeneration. This study investigated the correlation of HDGF expression with differentiation and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).


METHODS
HDGF expression in 100 patients with HCC (81 men and 19 women) with ages ranging from 34 to 81 years (median, 61 years) receiving surgical treatment was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. HDGF messenger RNA expression was evaluated in 10 cases by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The immunostaining pattern in HCCs was categorized as a positive HDGF index (showing positive staining in >90% of tumor cells in both nucleus and cytoplasm) or a negative HDGF index (all others).


RESULTS
Twenty-seven cases (27%) showed a positive and 73 (73%) showed a negative HDGF index. HDGF messenger RNA expression was significantly higher in four cases with a positive HDGF index than in six with a negative index. Cases with well-differentiated histological characteristics showed a higher rate of positive HDGF index than those with a poorly differentiated subtype. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed significantly poorer disease-free and overall survivals in patients with a positive HDGF index compared with patients with a negative index.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest the potential utility of HDGF immunohistochemistry in determining the prognosis of HCC.
Yoshida
Kenya
K
Department of Molecular Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamada-oka 2-2, Suita, 565-0871 Osaka, Japan.
Tomita
Yasuhiko
Y
Okuda
Yorihide
Y
Yamamoto
Shinji
S
Enomoto
Hirayuki
H
Uyama
Hirokazu
H
Ito
Hiroaki
H
Hoshida
Yoshihiko
Y
Aozasa
Katsuyuki
K
Nagano
Hiroaki
H
Sakon
Masato
M
Kawase
Ichiro
I
Monden
Morito
M
Nakamura
Hideji
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D015996:Survival Rate
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; C051610:hepatoma-derived growth factor