Expression of PTEN, PPM1A and P-Smad2 in hepatocellular carcinomas and adjacent liver tissues.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expressions of PTEN, PPM1A and P-Smad2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and their significance.


METHODS
The expressions of PTEN, PPM1A and P-Smad2 in 31 HCC tissues, 25 adjacent liver tissues and 13 non-tumor liver tissues were detected by using Envision immunohistochemical technique.


RESULTS
The positive expression (64.52%) and staining intensity (4.19 +/- 3.31) of PTEN in the cytoplasm of HCC were significantly lower and weaker than those in the adjacent or non-tumor liver tissues (97.37%, 7.88 +/- 0.93; 100%, 7.77 +/- 0.93, respectively) (P < 0.05), and its staining intensity in the cytoplasm of HCC, which belongs to Edmondson pathologic grades II-III and above, was also lower than that of grade I and I-II. Furthermore, its location in the nucleus or cytoplasm of liver cells was negatively correlated with the progression of liver disease (r = -0.339, P = 0.002); most of PPM1A might be only expressed in the nucleus of adjacent liver tissues, non-HCC tissues or Edmondson grade I and I-II HCC, but it was mainly expressed in the cytoplasm of HCC with Edmondson grade > or = II, weakly or negatively expressed in the nucleus (P < 0.05), and its location was negatively correlated with the progression of liver disease (r = -0.45, P = 0.0000). P-Smad2, which was mostly located in the nucleus and cytoplasm of grade I and I-II HCC, surrounding or non-tumor liver tissues, was only in the nucleus of HCC with Edmondson grade II and above (P < 0.001), and its location was positively correlated with the disease progression (r = 0.224, P = 0.016). Spearman correlation analysis revealed that P-Smad2 was significantly negatively correlated with PTEN and PPM1A (r = -0.748, P = 0.000; r = -0.366, P = 0.001, respectively); and PTEN and PPM1A were positively correlated with HCC carcinogenesis (r = 0.428, P = 0.000).


CONCLUSIONS
The aberrant location of expression and staining intensity of PTEN, PPM1A and P-Smad2 in HCC and their relationship might have an impact on the pathogenesis of HCC.
Wu
Shu-Kun
SK
Division of Clinical Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095# Jiefangdadao, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
Wang
Bao-Ju
BJ
Yang
Yan
Y
Feng
Xin-Hua
XH
Zhao
Xi-Ping
XP
Yang
Dong-Liang
DL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000032:analysis*; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / Q000032:analysis*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D000071636:Protein Phosphatase 2C; D051899:Smad2 Protein / Q000032:analysis*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C497782:SMAD2 protein, human; D051899:Smad2 Protein; C000607456:PPM1A protein, human; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; D000071636:Protein Phosphatase 2C; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human