title: Activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase in non-cancerous liver tissue predicts a high risk of recurrence after hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Hepatic resection is the mainstay of curative treatment for early stage HCC. Although c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation contributes to hepatocyte proliferation and HCC development in mice, the extent of involvement of JNK in human HCC development is unknown. The aim of this study is to assess the predictive value of JNK for postoperative recurrence in HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  From April 2005 to March 2008, 159 patients underwent curative resection for HCC. From the 159 patients, 20 patients each matched for age, gender and etiology were registered as three groups: (i) without recurrence (no recurrence group), (ii) with recurrence within one year after surgery (early recurrence group), and (iii) with recurrence at one year or more after surgery (late recurrence group) (a cross-sectional control study). We investigated factors contributing to postoperative early and late phase recurrence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate analysis using a Logistic regression model showed that JNK activity in non-cancerous liver tissue was correlated with postoperative late recurrence. (P = 0.02, odds ratio; 5.79, 95% confidence interval [CI]; 1.33-25.36).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  JNK activity in non-cancerous liver tissue is considered as a reliable predictive biomarker for post-operative recurrence in HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology             Surgery             Biochemistry, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama             Center for Innovation in Immunoregulative Technology and Therapeutics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: Hobyung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Kazuomi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ueshima
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haji
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Ah-Mee
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Munakata
authors.forename: Toshiharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakurai