title: Correlation of adrenomedullin with the erythropoietin receptor and microvessel density in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Uncontrolled angiogenesis plays an essential role in the occurrence, metastasis and malignant progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to investigate the expression of adrenomedullin (ADM) in human HCC and its correlation with the expression of erythropoietin receptor (EPOR), microvessel density (MVD) and the tumor pathological characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fresh tumor tissues were obtained from 30 HCC patients after hepatectomy. Ten cirrhotic and 10 normal liver tissues were included as controls. Expression of ADM and EPOR was determined by real-time PCR. The MVD was determined by counting the number of microvessels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MVD and the mRNA levels of ADM and EPOR in cancer tissues were significantly higher than those in the non-cancer tissues (p < 0.05). Expression of ADM was significantly correlated with the MVD and EPOR (r = 0.68 and 0.74, p < 0.01). Adrenomedullin and EPOR mRNA levels in HCC tissues were correlated with capsule invasion, pathological differentiation and tumor metastasis (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that ADM and EPOR may serve as new regulatory factors involved in angiogenesis of HCC and represent novel targets for the treatment of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Drum Tower Hospital, Medicine School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Changzhou 1st People's Hospital, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Soochow University Changzhou Tumor Hospital, Changzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Soochow University Changzhou Tumor Hospital, Changzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ming Zhu
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Soochow University Changzhou Tumor Hospital, Changzhou, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Drum Tower Hospital, Medicine School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Yitao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
keywords: adrenomedullin; erythropoietin receptor; hepatocellular carcinoma; microvessel density