title: Expression of amino acid transporters (LAT1, ASCT2 and xCT) as clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Amino acid transporters play an important role in tumor progression and survival of cancer cells. However, the prognostic significance of L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1), system ASC amino acid transporter-2 (ASCT2) and xCT expression in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinicopathological significance of these amino acid transporters in patients with HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 84 patients with surgically resected HCC. Tumor sections were stained by immunohistochemistry for LAT1, ASCT2, xCT, 4F2hc/CD98hc (4F2hc), Ki-67 and microvessel density (MVD) determined by CD34.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LAT1, 4F2hc, ASCT2 and xCT were positively expressed in 61% (50/84), 77% (65/84), 63% (53/84) and 65% (55/84), respectively. Positive LAT1 expression was significantly associated with 4F2hc expression, Ki-67 and the serum albumin. By univariate analysis, LAT1 expression, disease stage and albumin had a significant relationship with overall survival. Tumor size, disease stage, portal vein invasion, albumin and α-fetoprotein had a significant relationship with progression-free survival. Multivariate analysis confirmed that LAT1 expression is an independent and significant prognostic factor for predicting worse outcome after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LAT1 can serve as a significant prognostic marker for predicting negative prognosis after surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan.|Department of Internal Medicine, Kiryu Kosei General Hospital, Kiryu, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Namikawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kakizaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan.|Department of Oncology Clinical Development, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Kyoichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaira
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tojima
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Horiguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oriuchi
authors.affiliation: Advanced Clinical Research Center, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tominaga
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Visceral Surgery, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sunose
authors.affiliation: Division of Bio-system Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Shushi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagamori
authors.affiliation: Division of Bio-system Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshikatsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanai
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsunari
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Visceral Surgery, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Takeyoshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamada
keywords: ASCT2; LAT1; hepatocellular carcinoma; prognostic factor; xCT