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[Expression of the integrin alpha 5 subunit in hepatocellular carcinoma]
Objective:
To elucidate the roles of integrins in tumorigenesis, progression, differentiation, invasiveness and metastasis, and the role of the integrin alpha 5 subunit in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Methods:
79 formalin-fixed sections of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were obtained. The integrin alpha 5 subunit was measured by immunohistochemistry assay (ABC method).
Results:
In 79 cases of HCC, cancerous tissues had lower expression than their adjacent non-tumor tissues (32.9% vs 81.0%, P < 0.01). The alpha 5 positive rate in small HCC (= < 5 cm in diameter) was higher than large HCC > 10 cm in diameter), being 55.6% and 10.0% respectively. Well-differentiated HCC expressed higher alpha 5 than poorly differentiated ones. The alpha 5 positive rates were lower in highly invasive HCC than those to low invasive ones.
Conclusion:
Our study indicated that expression of the integrin alpha 5 subunit is correlated with growth, differentiation, invasiveness and metastasis of HCC. It is possible that alpha 5 subunit is a negative regulator to these biological parameters of HCC.