title: [Low expression of SLC22A1 is associated with a poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: analysis of 303 patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association between SLC22A1 expression and the outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A tissue microarray of 303 HCC and matched adjacent noncancerous liver tissues (ANLTs) were constructed. The expression of SLC22A1 was tested by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and scored by two pathologists according to a 12-score scale (a score>6 was defined as high expression, and a score≤6 as low expression). The correlation of SLC22A1 expression with the clinicopathological features and the patients' outcome was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the ANLTs had a IHC score of 12, as compared to only 29 (9.6%) of the HCC tissues. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on the IHC scores: 59% (180/303) in low expression group and 41% (123/303) in high expression group. The disease-free survival (DFS) rates and overall survival (OS) rates were significantly lower in low SLC22A1 expression group than in the high expression group. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year DFS rates were 43%, 31% and 27% in the low expression group, and were 58%, 47% and 43% in the high expression group, respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 66%, 38% and 32% in low expression group, and were 80%, 57% and 50% in the high expression group, respectively. A low expression of SLC22A1 was positively correlated with the tumor diameter, BCLC stage, tumor differentiation, and AFP levels (P<0.05), and was an independent predictor of poor overall survival (HR=1.454; 95% CI, 1.050-2.013).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Down-regulation of SLC22A1 is a malignant feature and a potential prognostic marker of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. E-mail: shutong108@163.com.
authors.forename: Shu-Tong
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shun-Li
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Yun-Peng
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.forename: Shao-Qiang
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Bao-Gang
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D027702:Organic Cation Transporter 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
chemical_list: D027702:Organic Cation Transporter 1