title: The promoting effect of adiponectin in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adipokines may explain the newly established association of obesity with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study investigated if adiponectin levels in HCC patients differed from healthy controls and their potential effect in the development of HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Radioimmunoassay was used to determine serum adiponectin levels of 65 HCC patients and 165 healthy controls. The expressions of adiponectin protein in the tumor and adjacent non-tumor parts were examined by the immunoblotting method. Cell proliferation assays were used to assess the bioeffects of adiponectin in two human liver cancer cell lines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum adiponectin levels were significantly higher in the HCC patients than the controls. Significant correlations of serum adiponectin levels with serum triglyceride levels and insulin resistance were found in the controls, but not in the HCC patients. In contrast, serum adiponectin levels significantly correlated with serum albumin and alkaline phosphatase levels in the HCC patients, but this trend was not observed in the controls. The expression pattern of adiponectin protein between the paired tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissues significantly correlated with tumor size. In vitro, adiponectin increased cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased adiponectin expressions were found in HCC and this increase might contribute to tumor growth.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Ming-Jenn
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yao-Tsung
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: King-Teh
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chia-Jung
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Hao-Hsien
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shen-Nien
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D016014:Linear Models; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase