LAMELLAR FIBROSIS IN THE FIBROLAMELLAR VARIANT OF HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA - A ROLE FOR TRANSFORMING-GROWTH-FACTOR-BETA

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is a pluripotent regulatory molecule, found in at least five different isoforms. It is produced i n many different organs. In the liver, TGF-beta is expressed in non-pa renchymal cells, but not in hepatocytes. This growth factor is known t o induce fibrosis in the course of a variety of pathologic processes. Recently, TGF-beta has also been identified in hepatocellular carcinom a (HCC) cells, and the suggestion has been made that this growth facto r may play a role in hepatocarcinogenesis. In this study, we report th e findings of immunohistochemical stains for TGF-beta, performed on pa raffin sections of 14 human HCCs of the usual type and 11 examples of the fibrolamellar variant (FLC). TGF-beta was detected in tumor cells of 3 HCCs (21%) and 9 FLCs (82%). Compared with the HCCs, the FLCs dis played a mon diffuse and intense staining pattern for TGF-beta. Our fi ndings suggest that lamellar fibrosis, which is a histologic hallmark of FLC, may be due to the action of TGF-beta produced by tumor cells.