title: TNF-α, HGF and macrophage in peritumoural liver tissue relate to major risk factors of HCC Recurrence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) responds to tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF- α) secreted by macrophages and has been suggested to function in malignant metastasis. This study was performed to shed a light on the complicated relation between intrahepatic macrophages, TNF- α, HGF and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) microvascular invasion (MVI) and pathological grade.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight HCC cases were divided into three groups according to pathological grade: poorly-differentiated (PD), moderately-differentiated (MD) and well-differentiated (WD) groups. Each group was divided into subgroups based on the condition of MVI. Macrophages were counted, and TNF- α and HGF were tested in all specimens by immunohistochemical analysis and RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In peritumoural liver tissue, MVI had more HGF (t=8.22, p<0.05) and less TNF- α (t=4.20, p<0.05) than non-MVI. With MVI, PD and MD had more TNF- α (t=3.30, p<0.05and t=2.82, p<0.05) than WD in peritumoural tissue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overexpressed TNF- α and HGF in microenvironment were related to poor differentiation and microvascular invasion of HCC. We suggest that inflammation of hepatic microenvironment promote pathological degradation and microvascular invasion of HCC.
authors.forename: Xiao-Long
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Fu-Qiang
authors.initials: FQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Li-Xin
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhi-Peng
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C066855:HGF protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor