Hepatocellular Carcinoma with β-Catenin Mutation: Imaging and Pathologic Characteristics

Area of Science:

• Hepatobiliary imaging and pathology
• Molecular mechanisms in HCC

Background:

• Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary liver malignancy with diverse molecular subtypes.
• β-catenin mutations are common in HCC and influence tumor behavior and imaging characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To correlate imaging features of HCC with β-catenin mutation status.
• To investigate the relationship between imaging findings and histopathologic characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 138 surgically resected HCCs using dynamic CT and gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR imaging.
• Immunohistochemical analysis of β-catenin, glutamine synthetase (GS), and organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B3 (OATP1B3).
• Correlation of imaging findings with β-catenin mutation status, GS expression, and OATP1B3 expression.

Main Results:

• HCCs with β-catenin mutation showed significantly higher apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and higher enhancement ratios during the hepatobiliary phase (HBP) on gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR imaging.
• Pathologic examination revealed that HCCs with β-catenin mutation had a higher grade of differentiation, with frequent pseudoglandular patterns and bile production.
• Significant positive correlations were found between β-catenin, GS, and OATP1B3 expression.

Conclusions:

• HCCs with β-catenin mutation display characteristic imaging findings, including high ADC on DWI and high enhancement ratios on gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR imaging.
• These imaging features are associated with a higher grade of differentiation and specific histopathologic patterns.
• The study highlights the utility of advanced imaging techniques in identifying molecular subtypes of HCC.