Expression of integrin-linked kinase is not a useful prognostic marker in resected hepatocellular cancer.
BACKGROUND
Hepatocellular cancer (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, and is known to be associated with a poor prognosis. Unfortunately there are no available reliable markers of prognosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether integrin-linked kinase (ILK) expression correlates with post-resection survival from HCC.


METHODS
A tissue microarray was constructed using HCC samples, and immunohistochemical analysis for ILK was then carried out and scored by three independent observers. Clinical chart review was performed to determine survival parameters.


RESULTS
Of the 52 cases of HCC, 22 cases were associated with hepatitis B (HBV), 18 with hepatitis C (HCV), 2 with HBV and HCV co-infection; 81% of all patients were male and 19% female. Western immunoblotting showed a highly significant correlation between levels of expression of ILK and ser473-PKBphosphorylation, both in control and tumor sections (Spearman rank correlation, r=0.8155, p=0.0004), however, there was no direct correlation between the levels of expression of ILK with patient survival (log-rank test, p= 0.864).


CONCLUSIONS
ILK expression does not appear to have a role in predicting outcome in patients with resected HCC.
Intaraprasong
Pongphob
P
Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada.
Assi
Kiran
K
Owen
David A
DA
Huntsman
David G
DG
Chung
Stephen W
SW
Scudamore
Charles H
CH
Yoshida
Eric M
EM
Salh
Baljinder
B
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D000099200:Scaffold Protein ILK
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000099200:Scaffold Protein ILK