Expression of glioma-associated oncogene 2 (Gli 2) is correlated with poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing hepatectomy.
BACKGROUND
Our previous studies showed that glioma-associated oncogene (Gli)2 plays an important role in the proliferation and apoptosis resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. The aim of this study was to explore the clinical significance of Gli2 expression in HCC.


METHODS
Expression of Gli2 protein was detected in samples from 68 paired HCC samples, the corresponding paraneoplastic liver tissues, and 20 normal liver tissues using immunohistochemistry. Correlation of the immunohistochemistry results with clinicopathologic parameters, prognosis, and the expression of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and vimentin were analyzed.


RESULTS
Immunohistochemical staining showed high levels of Gli2 protein expression in HCC, compared with paraneoplastic and normal liver tissues (P < 0.05). This high expression level of Gli2 was significantly associated with tumor differentiation, encapsulation, vascular invasion, early recurrence, and intra-hepatic metastasis (P < 0.05). There was a significantly negative correlation between Gli2 and E-cadherin expression (r = -0.302, P < 0.05) and a significantly positive correlation between expression of Gli2 and expression of vimentin (r = -0.468, P < 0.05) and N-cadherin (r = -0.505, P < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with overexpressed Gli2 had significantly shorter overall survival and disease-free survival times (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis suggested that the level of Gli2 expression was an independent prognostic factor for HCC.


CONCLUSIONS
Expression of Gli2 is high in HCC tissue, and is associated with poor prognosis in patients with HCC after hepatectomy.
Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, No, 250, East Changgang Road, Guangzhou 510260, China.
Dawei
D
Zhang
Liangqi
L
Cao
Yue
Y
Li
Haiwu
H
Lu
Xuewei
X
Yang
Ping
P
Xue
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D000075746:Zinc Finger Protein Gli2
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C082593:GLI2 protein, human; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D000075746:Zinc Finger Protein Gli2