title: Association between the expression of HIF-1α and VEGF and prognostic implications in primary liver cancer.
abstract: The goal of this study was to investigate the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in primary liver cancer (PLC) and their association with prognosis. Tumor tissue, non-tumor tissue, and blood samples of 75 PLC patients were collected. Blood samples of 20 volunteers were also collected as healthy controls. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze the mRNA levels of HIF-1α and VEGF in the tissues. Protein expression of HIF-1α and VEGF was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the expression of HIF-1α and VEGF at the serum level. Univariate tests, multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, and the Student t-test were used to analyze the data. HIF-1α and VEGF showed higher expression in PLC tumor tissue both at the mRNA and protein levels. HIF-1α and VEGF expression was positive in 62.67 and 66.67% of PLC patients, respectively. HIF-1α and VEGF expression was significantly related to tumor stage and lymph nodes and lung metastases (P < 0.05). HIF-1α expression correlated with VEGF expression in PLC (r = 0.665, P < 0.05). Both HIF-1α and VEGF were significantly associated with overall survival (P < 0.05), while HIF-1α was identified as an independent prognostic factor. Both HIF-1α and VEGF, as the predictors of efficacy of TACE and metastasis of PLC, are biomarkers indicating PLC in advanced stage, and implied poor prognosis in patients with PLC. HIF-1α and VEGF could potentially be targets to improve outcomes in PLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Medical College, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: L Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Medical College, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Medical College, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: X P
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C497442:HIF1A protein, human; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A