title: [Expressions of phosphorylated-Smad2 and PTEN in hepatocellular carcinomas and adjacent liver tissues].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expressions of phosphorylated Smad2 (P-Smad2) and phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expressions of P-Smad2 and PTEN were detected using Envision immunohistochemical technique in 31 cases of HCC tissues, 25 cases of HCC adjacent liver tissues and 13 cases of non-hepatocellular carcinoma tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive expression and staining intensity of PTEN in the cytoplasm of HCC cells (64.5%, 4.19+/-3.31) was significantly lower than those of the cells of the cancer adjacent tissues and non-cancerous tissues (96.0%, 7.88+/-0.93; 100%, 7.77+/-0.93). The staining intensity of PTEN in the cytoplasm of Edmondson pathologic grade III HCC cells was lower than those of the Edmondson grade I. The expression of PTEN was negatively correlated with intrahepatic vascular cancer thrombi (r=-0.43) and the expression of PTEN in the nuclei or cytoplasm of liver cells was negatively correlated with the liver disease progressions (r=-0.34). The positive rate and expression intensity of phosphorylated Smad2 in nuclei of HCC cells were the same as those in cancer adjacent and non-tumor liver tissues. The expression was mostly in the nucleus and cytoplasm of Edmondson grade I HCC cells, cancer adjacent liver tissue cells and non-tumor liver tissues, but its expression was only in the nuclei of Edmondson grade II and III HCC cells. The phosphorylated Smad2 expression appeared in the nuclei and in the cytoplasm of liver cells and it was positively correlated with the severity of the tumor pathology (r=0.22). Spearman correlation analysis revealed a significant inverse correlation between PTEN and phosphorylated Smad2 in HCC tissues (r=-0.73).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The aberrant expressions of PTEN and phosphorylated Smad2 and their interaction may play an important role in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma.
authors: Division of Clinical Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
authors: Shu-kun
authors: SK
authors: Wu
authors: Bao-ju
authors: BJ
authors: Wang
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Yang
authors: Yong-jun
authors: YJ
authors: Tian
authors: Jun-jie
authors: JJ
authors: Bao
authors: Xin-hua
authors: XH
authors: Feng
authors: Dong-liang
authors: DL
authors: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000378:metabolism*; D051899:Smad2 Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C497782:SMAD2 protein, human; D051899:Smad2 Protein; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human