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Tricellulin Expression and its Prognostic Significance in Primary Liver Carcinomas

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Pathology & Oncology Research

Abstract

Numerous data suggest that altered expression of tight junction proteins such as occludin and claudins plays important role in carcinogenesis. However, little is known about tricellulin, a transmembrane tight junction protein concentrated where three epithelial cells meet. We aimed to characterize tricellulin expression in normal and cirrhotic liver in comparison to primary hepatic neoplasms. Tricellulin expression of 20 control livers, 12 cirrhotic livers, 32 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC), and 20 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (iCCC) was investigated by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Co-localization of tricellulin with claudin-1, -4, and MRP2 was studied using double immunofluorescence. Scattered tricellulin immunopositivity was restricted to biliary pole of hepatocytes confirmed by co-localization with MRP2. Moreover, spotted-like reaction was observed between bile duct epithelial cells. In 40 % of HCCs marked tricellulin overexpression was measured regardless of tumor grades. In iCCCs, however, tricellulin expression decreased parallel with dedifferentiation. In HCCs high tricellulin expression, in iCCCs low tricellulin expression correlated with poor prognosis. Co-localization with MRP2 might substantiate that tricellulin plays role in blood-biliary barrier. Overexpressed tricellulin in a subset of HCCs correlated with unfavorable prognosis. Similar to ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma, higher grades of iCCCs were associated with decreased tricellulin expression correlating with poor prognosis.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the Hungarian Scientific Research Found (OTKA)# K101435.

Disclosure Statement

The authors have no financial or personal conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 2nd Department of Pathology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

    Áron Somorácz, Anna Korompay, Péter Törzsök, Attila Patonai, Boglárka Erdélyi-Belle, Gábor Lotz, Zsuzsa Schaff & András Kiss

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  1. Áron Somorácz
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  2. Anna Korompay
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  3. Péter Törzsök
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  4. Attila Patonai
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  5. Boglárka Erdélyi-Belle
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  6. Gábor Lotz
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  7. Zsuzsa Schaff
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  8. András Kiss
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Correspondence to András Kiss.

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Somorácz, Á., Korompay, A., Törzsök, P. et al. Tricellulin Expression and its Prognostic Significance in Primary Liver Carcinomas. Pathol. Oncol. Res. 20, 755–764 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12253-014-9758-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12253-014-9758-x

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