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A novel diagnostic marker, p28GANK distinguishes hepatocellular carcinoma from potential mimics

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the sensitivity, specificity, and spatial distribution of the product of p28 gene (p28GANK protein) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and nonhepatocellular carcinomas in relation to immunostaining with Cytokeratin 18 (CK18), α-fetoprotein (AFP), and Hepatocyte paraffin 1 (HepPar1).

Method

In this retrospective study, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from 24 HCCs, five intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (ICC), five combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinomas (C-HCC-CC) and mine metastatic hepatic carcinomas (MHC) were immunostained for p28GANK as well as CK18, AFP and HepPar1. Only cases with more intensified staining in carcinoma contrast to the adjacent liver tissues were accepted as positive.

Result

In HCC, p28GANK was expressed restrictively in hepatocytes of both para-lesion and carcinoma liver tissues, while absent in the bile duct epithelial cells, Kupffer cells, and other interstitial cells. The positive staining of p28GANK was noted in 16 (66.7%) specimens of HCC and three (60.0%) specimens of C-HCC-CC, and no specific lesion staining was found in all tested specimens of ICC and MHC. Sensitivity and specificity for hepatocyte-originated carcinoma were, respectively, 65.5% and 100% for p28GANK, 79.3% and 85.2% for CK18, 20.7% and 100% for AFP, 79.3% and 92.0% for HepPar1.

Conclusion

The hepatocytic staining for p28GANK is clearly useful in differentiating hepatocyte-originated carcinoma from non-HCC. p28GANK may be used as an ancillary marker for the diagnosis of HCC.

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Fig. 1A, B
Fig. 2A–H
Fig. 3A–F

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Abbreviations

HCC:

Hepatocellular carcinoma

ICC:

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

C-HCC-CC:

Combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma

MHC:

Metastatic hepatic carcinoma

HepPar1:

Hepatocyte paraffin 1

CK18:

Cytokeratin 18

AFP:

α-fetoprotein

IHC:

Immunohistochemistry

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Wenming Cong and Dr. Shuhui Zhang for their excellent evaluation of the antibody, also thank Liang Tang, Weiqing Wu, Ling Huang, and Xiuzhong Zhang for their helpful technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Co-operation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Institute, Second Military Medical University, 225 Changhai Road, 200438, Shanghai, P.R. China

    Xiaoyong Fu, Shuqin Liu, Honghai Li, Lei Chen, Jianmin Qin & Hongyang Wang

  2. Department of Pathology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, P.R. China

    Lu Tan

  3. Department of Clinical Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, P.R. China

    Mengchao Wu

Authors
  1. Xiaoyong Fu
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  2. Lu Tan
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  3. Shuqin Liu
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  4. Honghai Li
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  5. Lei Chen
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  6. Jianmin Qin
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  7. Mengchao Wu
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  8. Hongyang Wang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hongyang Wang.

Additional information

This work was supported by the Chinese National Key Project of Basic Research (No. 001CB510205), the Hi-Tech Research and Development Program of China (No. 2002BA711A02-3), and the Shanghai Science and Technology Committee Grant (No. 03DJ14007).

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Fu, X., Tan, L., Liu, S. et al. A novel diagnostic marker, p28GANK distinguishes hepatocellular carcinoma from potential mimics. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 130, 514–520 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-004-0562-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-004-0562-y

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