[Relationship between epithelial-mesenchymal transition and lung metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relationship between epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and lung metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma.


METHODS
There were 100 patients who underwent surgical resection of hepatocellular carcinoma between January 2000 and March 2004. They were classified with non-distance metastasis and lung metastasis depend on the close following up till March 2007. Their hepatocellular carcinoma specimens were retrospectively examined for EMT markers (E-cadherin, Vimentin, Fibronectin) with immunochemistry staining in tissue microarray. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used for study the relationship between EMT and lung metastasis.


RESULTS
Univariate analysis showed that down regulation of E-cadherin, overexpression of fibronectin, cytosolic expression of vimentin, AFP >or= 400 ng/ml, tumor size more than 10 cm, portal vein involvement, poorly differentiated of tumor had close correlation with lung metastasis. Multivariate analysis indicated that overexpression of fibronectin was independent factor for lung metastasis apart from tumor size more than 10 cm, portal vein involvement and poorly differentiated of tumor.


CONCLUSIONS
The results proposed that EMT has close relation with lung metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Wang
Yan
Y
Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Xue
Tong-chun
TC
Xie
Xiao-ying
XY
Chen
Yi
Y
Ye
Sheng-long
SL
Ren
Zheng-gang
ZG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism
D015820:Cadherins; D005353:Fibronectins; D014746:Vimentin