[Expression of centromere protein A in hepatocellular carcinoma]

To study the expression of centromere protein A (CENP-A) and its significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and adjacent non-neoplastic liver tissue.

The expression levels of CENP-A mRNA in 20 samples of HCC and adjacent non-neoplastic liver tissue were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Immunohistochemical study for CENP-A and p53 proteins was also performed on tissue microarrays containing 80 samples of HCC and adjacent liver tissue.

The expression level of CENP-A mRNA in HCC (0.64 +/- 0.18) was higher than that in adjacent non-neoplastic liver tissue (0.09 +/- 0.09) (t = 12.78, P < 0.01). Of the 80 samples of HCC, 57 cases (71.25%) and 60 cases (75%) expressed CENP-A and p53 proteins respectively. The positivity rates of CENP-A and p53 proteins in non-neoplastic liver tissue were 43.75% (35/80) and 16.25% (13/80) respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in CENP-A and p53 protein expression between HCC and non-neoplastic liver tissue (P < 0.01). The coincident rate between CENP-A and p53 expression was 88.75% (71/80). Expression of CENP-A protein showed a positive correlation with that of p53 protein (r = 0.57, P < 0.01).

The over-expression of CENP-A occurs at transcriptional level and may be related to malignant proliferation of HCC via possible interaction with p53 gene.