title: Higher PKD3 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues predicts poorer prognosis for HCC patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Protein kinase D (PKD) acts as a key mediator in several cancer development signaling pathways. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance and prognostic value of PKD3 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after hepatectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  PKD3 mRNA and protein expression levels in tumor and matched non-tumoral (NT) tissues, HCC cell lines were evaluated by quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), western blotting and immunohistochemical staining (IHC). Additionally, PKD3 mRNA expression in HCC tissues correlated with clinicopathological characteristics and survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PKD3 mRNA and protein expression was elevated in HCC tissues and HCC cell lines. Our data also showed that in HCC patients after resection, a high-expression of PKD3 mRNA and protein significantly correlated with multiple tumor nodules (P=0.009, P=0.020, respectively), poor tumor differentiation (P=0.001, P=0.004, respectively), high serum AFP level (P=0.005, P=0.002, respectively), vascular invasion (P=0.006, P=0.009, respectively) and advanced AJCC stage (P=0.001, P=0.022, respectively). A Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that an elevated PKD3 mRNA expression correlated with shorter overall survival (OS) (P<0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS) (P=0.008). Moreover, multivariate analysis showed that a high-expression of PKD3 was an independent prognostic factor for three-year overall survival rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that abnormal PKD3 expression might contribute to HCC progression. Furthermore, high PKD3 expression predicts a poor prognosis in HCC patients after hepatectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Gastroenterology, Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People(')s Hospital, Guangzhou 510317, China.
authors.forename: Haiyun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People(')s Hospital, Guangzhou 510317, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510010, China.
authors.forename: Xiufang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Qun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Yadong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Kangmin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. Electronic address: lam0725@163.com.
authors.forename: Aimin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. Electronic address: liuside2008@163.com.
authors.forename: Side
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: C119190:protein kinase C nu; D011493:Protein Kinase C