title: [Expression of gap junction protein connexin 26 in human hepatocellular carcinoma and its significance].
abstract: To investigate the expression of gap junction protein connexin 26(Cx26) in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) and its significance.
  
  
  
  The expression of Cx26 in liver tissue was examined by immunohistochemistry staining in 159 paraffin-embeded liver sections, including 20 samples of normal liver tissue, 30 samples of chronic hepatitis, 33 samples of liver cirrhosis, and 76 samples of HCC. Normal hepatic cell line LO2 and HCC cell line SMMC-7721 were used in vitro to verify the characteristics of gap junction and Cx26 expression pattern. The expression and localization of Cx26 were measured by Western blotting and immunofluorescence assay, respectively. The function of gap junction between adjacent cells was detected by dye transfer assay.
  
  
  
  Compared to normal liver samples, the positive rate of Cx26 was markedly decreased in hepatitis, cirrhosis and HCC tissues(all P<0.05). The intensity of Cx26 staining was significantly increased in HCC tissues compared with those in non-carcinomatous liver(NCL) tissues(all P<0.05). In NCL tissues, there was a mild to moderated staining of Cx26 which located mainly on the membranes of hepatocytes at intercellular contacts. The positive staining of Cx26 in HCC tissues was observed mainly in cytoplasm. Positive Cx26 expression was positively associated with tumor size(P=0.036), but not with age, gender, histologic grade, clinical stage, underlying hepatitis and cirhosis, lymph node metastasis and intrahepatic vascular embolism(all P>0.05). Compared with LO2 cells, an aberrant expression and distribution of Cx26 in SMMC-7721 cells was confirmed, which may lead to a decreased function of gap junctions.
  
  
  
  The aberrant expression and distribution of Cx26 protein may be associated with hepatocarcinogenesis, and the residual gap junction in HCC may provide a new target for treatment of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233004, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233004, China.
authors.forename: Yu-mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233004, China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233004, China.
authors.forename: Wan-yun
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233004, China.
authors.forename: Yu-rong
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233004, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233004, China.
authors.forename: Fu-you
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233004, China.
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D063646:Carcinogenesis; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D000072259:Connexin 26; D017630:Connexins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000378:metabolism; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis
chemical_list: D017630:Connexins; C000607042:GJB2 protein, human; D000072259:Connexin 26