Loss of Wnt5a and Ror2 protein in hepatocellular carcinoma associated with poor prognosis

Figure 1 Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis of Ror2 gene (mRNA) expression in hepatocellular carcinoma, chronic hepatitis, cirrhotic and normal liver tissue. Ror2: Receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 2; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; GAPDH: Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; Bars: mean; Columns: SD; N: Normal; CH: Chronic hepatitis; CC: Cirrhosis; M, P, W: Moderately, poorly, and well differentiated tumor tissues, respectively.

Figure 2 Immunohistochemical staining for Ror2 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Patient-matched normal liver cells showed negative (A) or weak expression (B) of receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 2 (Ror2). Liver cirrhosis cells (C) and dysplastic liver cells (D) exhibited strong positive immunostaining for Ror2. Tumor cells (E, F) showing negative Ror2 staining in hepatocytes, while strong cytoplasmic staining is seen in adjacent nontumorous cells. Original magnification, 200 × in A; 400 × in B and D; 100 × in C.

Figure 3 Immunohistochemical staining for Wnt member 5a (A), β-catenin (B, C) and Ki-67 (D) in hepatocellular carcinoma. Original magnification, 400 ×.

Figure 4 Immunohistochemical staining for Wnt member 5a (A), receptor 2 (B), β-catenin (C, D) in lung metastasis tissues. Original magnification: 400 × in D; 100 × in the others.

Figure 5 Survival curves of 82 hepatocellular carcinoma patients. A: Overall survival curves of 82 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients; B: Survival curves of 82 HCC patients with tumors expressing low or high levels of Wnt member 5a (Wnt5a) (log-rank test, P = 0.016); C: Survival curves of 82 HCC patients with tumors expressing low or high levels of receptor 2 (Ror2) (log-rank test, P = 0.007); D: Survival curves of 82 HCC patients with tumors expressing low or high levels of β-catenin (log-rank test, P = 0.045). L: Low expression; H: High expression; N: Normal expression; A: Abnormal expression.