Abstract
It has been reported that Golgi protein-73 (GP73), glypican-3 (GPC3), and des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) could serve as serum markers for the early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to evaluate a panel of immunostaining markers (including GP73, GPC3, DCP, CD34, and CD31) as well as reticulin staining to distinguish HCC from the mimickers. Our results revealed that CD34 immunostaining and reticulin staining were highly sensitive for the diagnosis of HCC. A special immunoreaction pattern of GP73--a diffuse coarse-block pattern in a perinuclear region or a concentrated cluster-like or cord-like pattern in a certain part of the cytoplasm--was observed in HCC cells, in contrast to the cytoplasmic fine-granular pattern in surrounding non-tumor cells and non-malignant nodules. This coarse-block pattern correlated significantly with less differentiated HCC. In comparison, GPC3 displayed a good advantage in diagnosing well-differentiated HCC. In our study, DCP and CD31 showed little diagnostic value for HCC as an immunostaining marker. When GP73, GPC3, and CD34 were combined, the specificity improved to 96.6%. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that the immunohistochemical panel of GP73, GPC3, and CD34 as well as reticulin staining is highly specific for the pathological diagnosis of HCC.