title: Defective Beclin-1 and elevated hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α expression are closely linked to tumorigenesis, differentiation, and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis. Autophagy and hypoxia have been involved in HCC tumorigenesis. In the present study, we examined the relationship between Beclin-1 expression and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α expression in HCC by immunohistochemistry on 65 tumor specimens. Their correlations with clinicopathological features were also explored. There was a loss of Beclin-1 protein expression in 49.2 % of HCC. Beclin-1 expression was only significantly correlated with virus infection status (p = 0.025) and marginally associated with HCC grade (p = 0.057). Forty-two tumors (64.6 %) showed high HIF-1α expression, and it was significantly associated with large tumor size (p = 0.003), multifocal tumors (p = 0.038), and advanced stage (p = 0.043). Beclin-1 expression was significantly associated with HIF-1α expression (p = 0.001). HCC cases were further stratified according to their hypoxia status into hypoxic and normoxic groups. In the hypoxic group, Beclin-1 expression was negatively correlated with HCC high tumor grade (p < 0.001), advanced stage (p = 0.013), large size (p = 0.002), and multifocal tumors (p = 0.047). In the normoxic group, no significant relations between Beclin-1 expression and any of the clinicopathological parameters were identified. Our findings that reduced Beclin-1 and high HIF-1α expression are associated with the development and progression of HCC may provide molecular therapeutic targets toward inhibiting HCC development and progression.
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, 61111, Egypt, nisr20032000@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Nisreen A A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Osman
authors.forename: Dalia M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Abd El-Rehim
authors.forename: Inas M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Kamal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D000071186:Beclin-1; D063646:Carcinogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C491997:BECN1 protein, human; D000071186:Beclin-1; C497442:HIF1A protein, human; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D008565:Membrane Proteins