LOW MIB-1 LABELING INDEX IN ANTI-HCV POSITIVE HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA

It has been reported that hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular car cinoma (HCC) patients survive longer than hepatitis B virus-related pa tients. In this study, since HCC patients positive for anti-HCV antibo dy had significantly longer disease-free survival (p<0.05), we evaluat ed the proliferative activity of 58 resected HCCs and the status of th eir viral infections. Ki-67 (MIB-1) immunostaining, argyrophilic nucle olar organizer regions and c-myc gene amplification were examined as p arameters of proliferation, and p53 overexpression was examined in rel ation to clinicopathologic features and prognosis. Thirty-nine patient s with HCC (67%) were positive for anti-HCV antibody alone, five (9%) were negative for both anti-HCV and HBV antibodies, two (3%) were posi tive for both anti-HCV and HBV antibodies, and 12 (21%) had HBsAg alon e. HCC patients with anti-HCV antibody had a lower MIB-1 labeling inde x (LI) than HCC patients negative for the antibody (p<0.05), irrespect ive of the serum HBsAg status. However, there was no significant corre lation between anti-HCV antibody and other proliferative parameters. M IB-1 could simply be related to cellular proliferation. On the other h and, the other parameters may be related to tumor progression as well as proliferation. HCV-related HCC does have lower proliferative activi ty and a better prognosis.