Tissue hepatocyte growth factor and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in hepatocellular carcinoma

To better understand the roles of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and prolif erating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 37 s urgically resected HCCs and corresponding nontumorous liver tissue specimen s were collected and the expression of these two factors was quantified I,b y Western blot analysis. Both HGF and PCNA expression levels were significa ntly higher in tumor tissue than in nontumorous tissue. However, their expr ession levels in HCC tissue and nontumorous tissue did not show any signifi cant correlation with the recurrence of HCC. In addition, HGF and PCNA did not correlate with Edmondson's grade, invasiveness of tumor, presence of tu mor capsule, or tumor size. No correlation was found between the expression levels of I-IGF and PCNA in HCC tissue. We conclude that, although both HG F and PCNA are present at higher levels in HCC tissue than in nontumorous l iver tissue, they play little role in the clinicopathologic manifestations of this tumor. I IGF appears to contribute little, if at all, to the prolif erative activity of HCC cells.