title: Decreased expression of LKB1 correlates with poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing hepatectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study any correlation of LKB1 expression with prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 70 HCC patients and 20 primary intrahepatic stone patients in the first affiliated hospital of Wenzhou Medical College were enrolled in this study. LKB1 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry. Patients were followed-up and prognostic factors were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LKB1 expression was decreased in the HCC samples. Loss of LKB1 expression in HCC was significantly related to histologic grade (P=0.010), vascular invasion (P=0.025) and TMN stage (P=0.011). Patients showing negative LKB1 expression had a significantly shorter disease-free and overall survival than those with positive expression (P = 0.001, P=0.000, respectively). Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that LKB1 expression level was an independent factor of survival (P = 0.033).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCC patients with decreased expression LKB1 have a poor prognosis. The loss of LKB1 expression is correlated with a lower survival rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yue-Han
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zhen-Kun
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ka-Te
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Jun-Qiao
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Qi-Yu
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong-Qi
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Qi-Tong
authors.initials: QT
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Zheng-Ping
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yun-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Shan
mesh_terms: D000091162:AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; C109790:STK11 protein, human; D000091162:AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases