Fascin expression in progression and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Fascin is an actin-bundling protein and induces membrane protrusions and cell motility after the formation of lamellipodia or filopodia. Fascin expression has been reported to be associated with progression or prognosis in various neoplasms, but the role of fascin in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological and prognostic relevance of fascin by immunohistochemistry.


METHODS
A total of 137 patients with HCC were stained with anti-fascin antibody. The tumor cells having unequivocal cytoplasmic and/or membranous fascin immunoreactivity were defined as fascin-positive.


RESULTS
Immunohistochemically, 23 (16.8%) HCCs having unequivocal fascin immunoreactivity were found. Tumors showing fascin expression were larger and less differentiated than those showing no fascin expression (P = 0.0239 and 0.0018, respectively). Portal venous invasion, bile duct invasion, and intrahepatic metastasis were detected significantly more frequently in fascin-positive group (P = 0.0029, 0.0333, and 0.0403, respectively). In addition, high alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were significantly associated with the fascin expression in HCC (P = 0.0116). Fascin-positive group had significantly poorer outcomes than fascin-negative group and was an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival.


CONCLUSIONS
Fascin might become a novel marker of progression in HCC and a significant indicator of a poor prognosis for patients with HCC.
Iguchi
Tomohiro
T
Department of Anatomic Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. iguchito@fukuokae2.hosp.go.jp
Aishima
Shinichi
S
Umeda
Kenji
K
Sanefuji
Kensaku
K
Fujita
Nobuhiro
N
Sugimachi
Keishi
K
Gion
Tomonobu
T
Taketomi
Akinobu
A
Maehara
Yoshihiko
Y
Tsuneyoshi
Masazumi
M
D000368:Aged; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000032:analysis; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000473:pathology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C502658:FSCN1 protein, human; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases