Survivin expression in early hepatocellular carcinoma and post-treatment with anti-cancer drug under hypoxic culture condition.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression of survivin during the early stages of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).


METHODS
Immunohistochemical expression of survivin in liver tumor and non-tumor tissue specimens taken from 17 patients was compared. In addition, to determine the survivin expression in response to anti-cancer drugs in early stage HCC, the survivin expression was determined after the treatment of the HCC cells with anti-cancer drugs under hypoxic culture conditions.


RESULTS
Survivin proteins were expressed in 64.7% of cells in early HCC specimens. A correlation between the survivin expression rate in the peritumoral hepatocytes and the rate of expression in the HCC specimens (low-rate group vs high-rate group) was observed. The survivin protein concentration in HCC cells was increased by the combination of hypoxia and anti-cancer drugs.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that survivin could be used as a therapeutic target in early HCC.
Mamori
Satoshi
S
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan. mamori@jikei.ac.jp
Asakura
Tadashi
T
Ohkawa
Kiyoshi
K
Tajiri
Hisao
H
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001706:Biopsy; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000077022:Survivin
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D000077022:Survivin; D015251:Epirubicin