Role of CD44 expression in non-tumor tissue on intrahepatic recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma
International Journal of Clinical Oncology, 06/21/2012
Tovuu L-O et al. – The CD44 expressions in the non-tumor tissues may predict HCC recurrence.
Methods- Forty-eight patients with HCC who underwent hepatic resection at our institution were enrolled in this study.
- CD44 expressions in both tumor and non-tumor tissues were examined using real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.
- The patients were divided into two groups: high and low gene-expression group, based on the CD44 expression level.
- We compared the clinicopathological factors between the high expression and low expression groups in both tumor and non-tumor tissues.
- In the tumor tissues, the gene-expression levels of CD44 did not correlate with any clinicopathological parameters.
- The disease-free survival rate showed no significant difference between the two groups.
- In non-tumor tissues, although there was no significant relationship between the CD44 expression levels and clinicopathological factors, disease-free survival rate in the CD44 low expression group was significantly better than that in the CD44 high expression group (P < 0.05).
- In multivariate analysis, the risk factors in tumor recurrence were presence of microscopic portal invasion and high expression level of CD44.
