Original Article


RELATIONSHIP OF THE EXPRESSION OF MDR1 GENE PRODUCT IN HEPATO CELLULAR CARCINOMA TO INVASION AND METASTASIS

Xianbing Kong, Zukui Yang, Kaixian Fang

Abstract

Objective: To study the relationshi p of the expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to invasion and intrahepatic metastasis.
Methods: Surgical samples of 47 patients with HCC were investigated using immunohistochemical method in combination with computer-imaging analytic technique.
Results: In HCC, anti-P-gp immunostaining was mainly localized in the cellular membrane. A significantly higher positive percentage of P-gp expression was observed in HCC tissues than normal liver tissues (P<0.01). HCCs with intrahepatic metastasis had a significantly higher Pgp expression level than those without intrahepatic metastasis (P<0.01). The expression level of P-gp in HCCs with invasion was significantly higher than that in HCCs without invasion (P<0.05).
Conclusion: P-gp may play an important role in the invasion and intrahepatic metastasis of HCC. P-gp expression level in tumor correlates the progression of HCC.