Up-regulation of dbpA mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma associated with metabolic syndrome.

Purpose: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a group of recognized risk factors for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic liver disease. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinicopathological characteristics of HCC patients with MS and the risk factors for recurrence. Also, the aim was to investigate the cold shock protein: DNA-binding protein A (dbpA) expression in HCC patients with MS.

Upregulation of protein tyrosine phosphatase type IVA member 3 (PTP4A3/PRL-3) is associated with tumor differentiation and a poor prognosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Protein tyrosine phosphatase type IVA member 3 (PTP4A3/PRL-3), a metastasis-associated phosphatase, plays multiple roles in cancer metastasis. We investigated PTP4A3/PRL-3 expression and its correlation with the clinicopathological features and prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Gene expression profiles of PTP4A3/PRL-3 were obtained in poorly differentiated HCC tissues.

Villin 1 is a predictive factor for the recurrence of high serum alpha-fetoprotein-associated hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy.

The prognostic assessment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after resection is an important clinical issue. The present study investigated those genes associated with high serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and their clinical significance, including prognosis and recurrence after hepatectomy. Based on gene expression analysis of 110 training HCC cases, 20 genes whose mRNA expression levels were significantly upregulated and 50 genes that were downregulated correlated with high serum AFP-associated HCC patients.

Expression of Aurora B and alternative variant forms in hepatocellular carcinoma and adjacent tissue.

Surgical resection is the effective treatment modality for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, rapid recurrence of the tumors are frequently observed even after apparently curative resection. The recurrence and prognostic assessment of patients with HCC after resection is an important clinical issue. We recently reported that aberrant expression of Aurora B is observed in primary HCC, and that it can be a predictive factor for HCC recurrence exceeding Milan criteria after curative hepatectomy.

The up-regulation of Y-box binding proteins (DNA binding protein A and Y-box binding protein-1) as prognostic markers of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purpose: The development of hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with the chronic inflammation of the liver caused by various factors such as hepatitis B or C virus infection. Previously, we reported DNA binding protein A (dbpA) as a candidate molecule that can accelerate inflammation-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. DbpA belongs to the Y-box binding protein family, and Y-box binding protein-1 (YB-1), the prototype member of this family, is reported to be a prognostic marker of malignant diseases other than hepatocellular carcinoma.