Relationships among differentiation degree, contrast-enhanced ultrasound and the expression of Ephb4/Ephrinb2 in primary hepatocarcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the relationships among differentiation degree, contrast-enhanced ultrasound and the expression of EphB4/EphrinB2 in primary hepatocarcinoma.


METHODS
Forty one patients that were diagnosed with hepatocarcinoma by contrast-enhanced ultrasound before operation and then confirmed to have primary hepatocarcinoma by postoperative pathology were enrolled in our study. The expression of EphB4/EphrinB2 in tumor specimens were detected by immunohistochemical assay and compared with the result of contrast-enhanced ultrasound.


RESULTS
Differentiation degree was related to EphrinB2 expression and contrast-enhanced ultrasound in primary hepatocarcinoma. EphrinB2 expression was significantly higher in poorly differentiated hepatocarcinoma (88.9%, 16/18) then in moderately and well differentiated hepatocarcinoma (34.8%, 8/23) (?2=12.17, p<0.001). The 'fast-in' in arterial phase displayed by contrast-enhanced ultrasound was also significantly higher in poorly differentiated hepatocarcinoma (100%) than in moderately and well differentiated hepatocarcinoma (60.9%, 14/23) (?2=9.02, p=0.003).


CONCLUSIONS
EphrinB2 is an important indicator of poorly differentiated hepatocarcinoma. There is a good correlation of EphrinB2 expression with vascular perfusion pattern and morphology in arterial phase displayed by contrast-enhanced ultrasound, so contrast-enhanced ultrasound has a certain value in evaluating differentiation degree of primary hepatocarcinoma before operation.
Ultrasound Department, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Xiao Lin
XL
Zhu
Peng
P
Chen
Hua
H
Guo
Wen-Jing
WJ
Hou
Yu
Y
Shi
Ti
T
Zhang
Qiang
Q
Li
Nin
N
Zhang
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000098:blood supply / Q000737:chemistry / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003287:Contrast Media; D036388:Ephrin-B2 / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000737:chemistry / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036224:Receptor, EphB4 / Q000032:analysis*; D014463:Ultrasonography
D003287:Contrast Media; D036388:Ephrin-B2; D036224:Receptor, EphB4