Differential vascular endothelial growth factor A protein expression between small hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis correlates with serum vascular endothelial growth factor A and alpha-fetoprotein.
OBJECTIVE
Drugs with antivascular endothelial growth factor A (anti-VEGF-A) action are under clinical evaluation with encouraging results in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The relative VEGF-A protein expression in non-advanced HCC and in the cirrhotic non-tumoral tissue in the same patient, a variable that could be important for treatment efficacy, has been investigated with conflicting results, only using the cirrhotic tissue surrounding the neoplasm (CS).


METHODS
We measured, for the first time, VEGF-A expression in non-advanced HCC and in the respective CS and cirrhotic tissue at a distance from the tumour (CD), in 24 patients who underwent liver transplantation.


RESULTS
VEGF-A protein was more expressed (P<0.05) in HCC than in CD, while no difference was found between HCC and CS. In HCC patients with a serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) higher than 20 ng/ml, VEGF-A protein expression in HCC was higher than in the corresponding CD in 83% of cases and AFP and serum VEGF-A corrected for the platelet count positively correlated with the differential VEGF-A protein expression between HCC and CD.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data provide a rationale for clinical trials involving anti-VEGF-A treatments in patients with non-advanced HCC, and suggest that serum AFP and VEGF-A are variables to be taken into account in these studies.
Department of Clinical Medicine, GI Unit 2, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy. stefano.corradini@uniroma1.it
Stefano Ginanni
SG
Corradini
Sergio
S
Morini
Francesca
F
Liguori
Simone
S
Carotti
Andrea Onetti
AO
Muda
Maria Antonella
MA
Burza
Maria
M
Siciliano
Antonio
A
Molinaro
Alfredo
A
Cantafora
Ida
I
Blotta
Manuela
M
Merli
Pasquale
P
Berloco
Massimo
M
Rossi
Adolfo Francesco
AF
Attili
Eugenio
E
Gaudio
D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007558:Italy; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins