title: Enhanced expression and clinical significance of chemokine receptor CXCR2 in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An ELR+ CXC chemokine receptor, CXCR2, was recently reported to be involved in tumorigenesis and development. However, the role of CXCR2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between CXCR2 expression and the biocharacteristics of HCC, and determine whether the expression of CXCR2 was related to the tumorigenesis and progression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two patients who underwent hepatic resection and were diagnosed as HCC by histologic examination were included. HCC and corresponding adjacent tissues (distance from the tumor border exceeding 2 cm) were obtained. Twenty-three samples of normal liver tissue were acquired surgically from the patients who had received an operation due to liver trauma. CXCR2 mRNA and protein expressions were examined using semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR and Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expression levels of CXCR2 were significantly increased in HCC compared with adjacent and normal liver tissues (P < 0.05). The results showed that CXCR2 mRNA and protein expression levels were not related to age, gender, AFP levels, tumor capsule, or tumor size. Also, there was no relationship between CXCR2 mRNA expression and TNM staging. The expression levels of CXCR2 mRNA and protein were correlated with intrahepatic metastasis (P < 0.05), portal cancer embolus (P < 0.05), and low differentiation (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the protein level of CXCR2 was relevant to TNM staging. The protein level of CXCR2 in stage III-IV was remarkably higher than in stage I-II (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data revealed that CXCR2 was able to promote invasion and metastasis of HCC. It may be a useful marker for judging biocharacteristics and prognosis of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xiaobo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Baosheng
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D023063:Receptors, Interleukin-8B / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D023063:Receptors, Interleukin-8B