Expression of the extracellular matrix protein periostin in liver tumours and bile duct carcinomas.
OBJECTIVE
To study the relevance of periostin, known to be involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), in hepatocellular and bile duct cancer.


RESULTS
Immunohistochemical periostin expression was semiquantitatively analysed in normal liver tissue (n = 20), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; n = 91), liver-cell adenoma (n = 9), focal nodular hyperplasia (n = 13) and bile duct carcinomas (BDC; n = 116) using tissue microarrays. Normal bile ducts, gallbladder epithelium and hepatocytes showed weak cytoplasmic periostin expression. In HCC, there was strong epithelial periostin expression in 19/91 (20.9%) and strong stromal periostin expression in 10/91 cases (11%). Epithelial expression in tumour cells was significantly associated with a higher tumour grade (P < 0.05) and hepatitis B virus infection (P = 0.007). Importantly, there was no strong periostin expression in benign liver tumours. Strong stromal periostin expression was detected in 78/116 (67.2%) BDC and strong epithelial expression in 39/116 (33.6%) BDC. pT stage, differentiation grade and proliferation rate in primary BDC were independent of periostin expression. Epithelial periostin expression was associated with reduced overall survival on univariate and multivariate analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
The EMT protein periostin is expressed in the stroma and epithelium of a subset of BDC and HCC. Epithelial periostin expression is a marker for malignant transformation of hepatocytes and a novel prognostic marker in BDC.
Riener
Marc-Oliver
MO
Department of Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Fritzsche
Florian R
FR
Soll
Christopher
C
Pestalozzi
Bernhard C
BC
Probst-Hensch
Nicole
N
Clavien
Pierre-Alain
PA
Jochum
Wolfram
W
Soltermann
Alex
A
Moch
Holger
H
Kristiansen
Glen
G
D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D020518:Focal Nodular Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; C512835:POSTN protein, human