title: Clinicopathological implications of immunohistochemically demonstrated mucin core protein expression in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: METHODS
  We examined the expression of mucin core protein 1 (MUC1) immunohistochemically in 186 surgical specimens of histopathologically nonmucinous hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and compared the clinicopathological features in patients with MUC1-positive HCC (MUC1-positive group) with those in patients with MUC1-negative HCC (MUC1-negative group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  MUC1 immunoreactively was present in 85 of the 186 HCCs. Of the clinicopathological variables examined, the serum concentration of alpha-fetoprotein, tumor differentiation, bile duct invasion, lymph node metastasis, and cytokeratin 19 expression exhibited significant associations with MUC1 expression. Although cumulative and tumor-free survival rates were not different between the two groups, the percentage of patients with first recurrence of HCC in distant organs (distant metastasis) within 2 years after surgery was significantly higher in the MUC1-positive group than in the MUC1-negative group (P = 0.0104). The risk ratio of MUC1 positivity for this type of distant metastasis was 3.156 (95% confidence interval, 1.064-9.358).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with MUC1-positive HCC, careful follow-up is necessary, not only for intrahepatic recurrence but also for distant metastasis, after the resection of primary HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Takatsugu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uenishi
authors.forename: Hiromu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Shigekazu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takemura
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Shogo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Shigefumi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suehiro
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirohashi
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kubo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C060192:MUC1 protein, human; D018396:Mucin-1; D009077:Mucins; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D007633:Keratins