NDRG1在原发性肝细胞癌及胎肝中的表达及意义

目的:探讨NDRG1在原发性肝细胞癌(HCC)及胎肝组织中的表达及其意义.方法:收集2002-01/2008-12广州市第一人民医院手术切除的肝细胞癌标本81例. 所有患者术前未行放疗和化疗; 25例胎肝组织, 取自不同月份流产或引产的胎儿(4、5、6、7、8 mo胎儿各5例); 另选43例癌旁组织, 10例肝硬化组织, 9例正常肝组织(移植肝), 8例原发癌转移灶组织作为对照. 观察肝脏组织病理形态特征, 并用免疫组织化学EnVison法检测NDRG1的表达.结果:NDRG1在正常肝组织中呈强阳性表达, 平均吸光度值为0.206±0.056, 随着肿瘤的发生, 在癌旁组织中有减弱(0.176±0.083),在HCC中表达明显减弱(0.128±0.096), 在转移灶中表达最低(0.059±0.051), 而在胎肝组织中表达亦较低(0.059±0.074). 各组总体差异均有统计学意义(F = 33.669, P <0.05). HCC与患者年龄、性别、肝炎病史、肝硬化、肿瘤大小、AFP值、HbsAg、淋巴结转移及有无远处转移、肿瘤分型、Child-Pugh分级、TNM分期、CLIP分期均无关(P >0.05), 但与肿瘤的Edmondson分级有关(F = 2.881, P <0.05).结论:NDRG1在HCC中低表达, 并且随着肿瘤的发生发展, 表达量逐渐降低. NDRG1可能对HCC起着抑制作用, 提示该基因可望成为早期预测肝癌转移的分子生物学标志物之一.

Expression of NDRG1 in primary hepatocellular carcinoma and fetal liver and its significance

AIM: To investigate the expression of NDRG1 in primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and fetal liver and its significance. METHODS: Eighty one surgical resection specimens of hepatocellular carcinoma were obtained during 2002-01 and 2008-12, and all patients did not undergo pre-operative radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Twenty five fetal liver tissue specimens were taken from fetuses at different months (4, 5, 6, 7, 8 mo of the five cases of fetus). Forty three cases of para-carcinoma tissues, 10 cases of liver cirrhosis tissue, 9 cases of normal liver tissue (liver transplantation), and 8 cases of primary cancer metastasis tissue were taken as the controls. The pathological morphological characteristics of liver tissue were observed, and the expression of NDRG1 was detected using immunohistochemical EnVision. RESULTS: NDRG1 expression in normal liver tissue was strongly positive, and the average optical density value was 0.206 ± 0.056. With the progress of carcinoma, NDRG1 expression was weakened in para-carcinoma tissues, and the average optical density value was 0.176 ± 0.083. It was decreased significantly in the HCC (0.128 ± 0.096), bottomed in metastasis focus (0.059 ± 0.051), and was also lower in fetal liver tissue (0.059 ± 0.074). The overall differences among the groups were statistically significant (F = 33.669, P < 0.05). HCC was not related to the age, sex, history of hepatitis, with or without cirrhosis, carcinoma size, AFP value, HbsAg, with or without lymph node metastasis, or distant metastasis, carcinoma type, Child-Pugh classification, TNM staging , CLIP stages (P > 0.05), but related to the Edmondson classification of carcinoma (F = 2.881, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Low-expression of NDRG1 in HCC is observed and the expression is further decreased with the tumor development and progression. Therefore, NDRG1 exerts an inhibitory effect on HCC, suggesting that the gene is expected to become a molecular marker for the early prediction of HCC metastasis.