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Down-regulation of retinol binding protein 5 is associated with aggressive tumor features in hepatocellular carcinoma

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Abstract

Purpose

Acyclic retinoid (ACR) has been shown to be a promising chemopreventive agent for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after curative resection. The effects of retinoid are mediated by retinol-binding proteins (RBPs) through regulating cell proliferation and differentiation.

Patients and methods

This study investigated the clinical significance of RBP5 in HCC. RBP5 mRNA level was examined by real-time quantitative PCR on 52 matched tumor and adjacent non-tumor liver tissues, and on ten normal livers. Expression of RBP5 protein was examined using Western blotting analysis and immunohistochemistry.

Results

Down-regulation of RBP5 was found in HCC tissues at both mRNA and protein levels. Decreased RBP5 level was closely related to poor differentiation (P = 0.02) and large tumor size (P = 0.01). Low level of RPB5 was associated with poor overall survival (P = 0.02), and was an independent prognostic factor for HCC.

Conclusions

Our study revealed that RBP5 down-regulation in HCC was associated with aggressive tumor features, suggesting an important role of RPB5 in HCC progression.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported in part by the grants from the Sun Chieh Yeh Research Foundation for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, and Seed Funding Program of the University of Hong Kong.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, L9-55, Laboratory Block, Faculty of Medicine Building, 21 Sassoon Road Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China

    Jenny C. Y. Ho, Siu Tim Cheung, Wing Sem Poon, Yuk Ting Lee & Sheung Tat Fan

  2. Department of Pathology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China

    Irene O. L. Ng

Authors
  1. Jenny C. Y. Ho
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  2. Siu Tim Cheung
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  3. Wing Sem Poon
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  4. Yuk Ting Lee
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  5. Irene O. L. Ng
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Correspondence to Siu Tim Cheung.

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Ho, J.C.Y., Cheung, S.T., Poon, W.S. et al. Down-regulation of retinol binding protein 5 is associated with aggressive tumor features in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 133, 929–936 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-007-0230-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-007-0230-0

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