[Expression of special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 1 mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma and its clinical...

To investigate the expression of special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1 (SATB1) mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and explore its correlation to the clinicopathological features, surgical outcomes and metastasis of HCC.

The total RNA was extracted from 102 HCC tissues and the adjacent tissues, and the expression of SATB1 mRNA was detected using quantitative real-time PCR. The correlations of SATB1 mRNA expression to the clinicopathological features, postoperative recurrence and metastasis of the tumor were analyzed.

The expression of SATB1 mRNA in HCC tissues was 3.27 folds higher than that in the adjacent tissues (P<0.001). The expression of SATB1 mRNA in HCC was associated with liver cirrhosis, AFP level, tumor size, tumor thrombi, histological differentiation, TNM classification, postoperative recurrence and metastasis (P<0.05), but not to the patients' gender, age, HbsAg positivity, HCV-Ab positivity, tumor number, or the presence of tumor encapsulation (P>0.05). In patients with significant high expression, high expression, and low expression of SATB1 mRNA, the postoperative recurrence rates were 82.68%, 0, and 0, with the 3-year survival rate of 0, 52.63%, and 100%, respectively.

SATB1 mRNA expression is associated with the postoperative recurrence and metastasis of HCC, and can be used as an indicator for predicting the recurrence and metastasis of HCC.