PTEN-protein Expression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and its Association with Invasion and Metastasis

Objective To study PTEN-protein expression in primary human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its clinical significance.Methods PTEN-protein expression in HCC and paraneoplastic tissues was analyzed by Immunohistochemistry.Results PTEN-protein expression levels and positive rates were significantly lower in human HCC than in paraneoplastic tissues.PTEN protein expression was not related to most of the clinicopathological feathers,including age,serum AFP level,number of tumors,size of tumor,clinical stage,local recurrence,distant metastases,and pathological grade.PTEN protein expression was related to portal tumor thrombus.Patients without portal tumor thrombus had higher PTEN protein expression than those with portal tumor thrombus (P=0.010).Conclusion PTEN gene mutation or loss of its expression may occur in the tumorogenesis of HCC.Loss of PTEN expression was closely related to the degree of malignancy of HCC,disease progression,and invasion and metastasis of HCC.Lower expression of PTEN tends to have more advanced disease,more maglinant tumor.Lower expression of PTEN is a negative prognostic factor.