Background
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive type of tumor with high mortality and poor prognosis, KAI1 is a metastasis suppressor gene which was first found in prostate carcinoma and mapped to chromosome 11p11.2. Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is a new blood supply phenomenon that exists in highly malignant tumors. CD133 is one of the most common CSC markers for cancer stem cells, and it is related to drug resistance. The
Conclusions
KAI1, CD133, and the existence of VM may have important impacts on metastasis and prognosis in HCC.
Methods
The levels of KAI1, VM and CD133 in 108 whole tissue samples of HCC were detected by immunohistochemistry and histochemistry. Clinical data were also collected.
Results
Levels of CD133 and VM were significantly higher, and the level of KAI1 was significantly lower in HCC tissues than that in normal liver tissues. Levels of CD133 and VM were positively associated with cirrhosis, grade, venous invasion, lymph node metastasis (LNM), intrahepatic metastasis, and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stages, and negatively with patients' overall survival (OS). The level of KAI1 was negatively correlated with cirrhosis, grade, venous invasion, lymph node metastasis (LNM), intrahepatic metastasis and TNM stages, and positively with patients' overall survival (OS). In a multivariate analysis, CD133, VM KAI1, and TNM stage were independently correlated with OS in patients with HCC. Conclusions: KAI1, CD133, and the existence of VM may have important impacts on metastasis and prognosis in HCC.