title: CC chemokine receptor 6 expression predicts poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies have demonstrated that the CC chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6) may be involved in tumorigenesis and tumor progression of various human malignancies. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance and prognostic value of CCR6 expression in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  CCR6 protein levels were evaluated by Western blot in samples from 25 HCC and matched adjacent noncancerous liver tissues. CCR6 protein expression levels were also examined by immunohistochemistry in association with clinicopathologic features and prognosis in 212 HCC patients. The effects of CCR6 on HCC cell proliferation and invasion were examined in vitro.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Western blot analysis showed significantly higher CCR6 protein in HCC than that in matched adjacent noncancerous liver tissues. By immunohistochemistry, CCR6 expression correlated with multicentricity (P = 0.014) and vascular invasion (P = 0.009). Importantly, CCR6 expression was an independent prognostic factor for the overall survival of HCC patients [hazard ratio = 3.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.94-4.76, P = 0.013]. In vitro data revealed that CCR6 promoting HCC cell proliferation through regulating p21, p27, and cyclin D1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CCR6 could be used as a molecular marker to predict prognosis for HCC. J. Surg. Oncol. 2014; 110:151-155. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Xinyong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Guoming
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zongzhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D054399:Receptors, CCR6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C106311:CCR6 protein, human; D054399:Receptors, CCR6
keywords: CCR6; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Prognosis