Increased polycomb-group oncogene Bmi-1 expression correlates with poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Recent studies have identified polycomb-group gene Bmi-1 as oncogene in the generation of mouse pre-cell lymphomas, and overexpression of Bmi-1 has been found in several human tumor with the disease progress and poor prognosis of the cancer patients.


METHODS
In present study, we investigated Bmi-1 expression and its prognostic significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by performing immunohistochemical analysis, using a total of 137 HCC clinical tissue samples.


RESULTS
High Bmi-1 expression (Bmi-1 2+ or 3+) was shown in 29.9% cases. The positive immuno-staining of Bmi-1 was not only in well/moderately-differentiated tumor cells, but also in surrounding noncancerous or cirrhotic liver tissue. Bmi-1 expression level did not correlate with any clinicopathological parameters. However, survival analysis showed that the high-Bmi-1 group had a significantly shorter overall survival time than the low-Bmi-1 group (P=0.047). Multivariate analysis after 24 months revealed that Bmi-1 expression was a significant and independent prognostic parameter (P=0.002) for HCC patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study indicated that Bmi-1 could be a candidate biomarker for long-term survival in HCC.
Wang
Hui
H
State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China and Department of Experimental Research, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510060, People's Republic of China.
Pan
Ke
K
Zhang
Hua-kun
HK
Weng
De-sheng
DS
Zhou
Jun
J
Li
Jian-jun
JJ
Huang
Wei
W
Song
Hai-feng
HF
Chen
Min-shan
MS
Xia
Jian-chuan
JC
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D063150:Polycomb Repressive Complex 1; D011379:Prognosis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*
C069077:BMI1 protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D063150:Polycomb Repressive Complex 1