EXPRESSION OF FAS ANTIGEN AND BCL-2 PROTEIN IN HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA

Fas antigen (ag) is a cell surface protein known to trigger apoptosis in a variety of cells upon specific antibody binding. On the other han d, Bcl-2 protein, an oncogene product located at the mitochondrial inn er surface, prolongs cell survival by blocking apoptosis. In this stud y we examined the expression of Fas ag and bcl-2 protein in 17 cases o f hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to determine their role on HCC. By fl ow cytometric analysis, mean (SD) value of the expression of Fas ag on hepatocytes derived from normal liver, diseased liver (chronic hepati tis or liver cirrhosis) and HCC was 5.8(4.7)%, 10.3 (6.9)%, and 24.0(1 8.2)%, respectively. Fas ag expression on hepatoma cells was significa ntly greater than normal and diseased liver cells. The expression of B cl-2 protein in normal liver, diseased liver and HCC was 4.3(8.5)%, 0. 8(2.5)% and 2.1 (3.4)%, respectively, and the difference was not signi ficant. These results suggest that induction of apoptosis may be a pos sible therapy against HCC.