Brief Reports
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 28, 2005; 11(28): 4404-4408
Published online Jul 28, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i28.4404
Expression of c-erbB-2 and glutathione S-transferase-pi in hepatocellular carcinoma and its adjacent tissue
Zhao-Shan Niu, Mei Wang
Zhao-Shan Niu, Department of Pathology, Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, Shandong Province, China
Mei Wang, Institute of Education, the University of Reading, Britain RG6 1HY, Reading, United Kingdorn
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the Scientific Research Foundation of Shandong Provincial Education Committee (J94, K26)
Correspondence to: Zhao-Shan Niu, Department of Pathology, Medical College of QingdaoUniversity, 38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, Shandong Province, China. niumiao1993@hotmail.com
Telephone: +86-532-3812410
Received: September 22, 2004
Revised: November 13, 2004
Accepted: November 19, 2004
Published online: July 28, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the possible role of c-erbB-2 and glutathione S-transferase (GST-Pi) in primary hepatocellular carcinogenesis and the relationship between liver hype-rplastic nodule (LHN), liver cirrhosis (LC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS: The expression of c-erbB-2 and GST-Pi was detected immunohistochemically in 41 tissue specimens of HCC and 77 specimens of its adjacent tissue.

RESULTS: The positive expression of c-erbB-2 in LHN (28.6%) was significantly higher than that in LC (0%) (P = 0.032<0.05), but no significant difference was seen between HCC and LHN or LC (P>0.05, c2 = 0.002, 3.447). The positive expression of GST-Pi in HCC (89.6%) or LHN (71.1%) was significantly higher than that in LC (22.9%, P<0.001, c2 = 49.91, 16.96). There was a significant difference between HCC and LHN (P<0.05, c2 = 6.353).

CONCLUSION: The c-erbB-2 expression is an early event in the pathogenesis of HCC. GST-Pi may be a marker enzyme for immunohistochemical detection of human HCC and its preneoplastic lesions. LHN seems to be a preneoplastic lesion related to hepatocarcinogenesis.

Keywords: Liver neoplasm; Hyperplastic nodule; C-erbB-2 gene; GST-pi gene; Immunohistochemistry