[Relationship between hepatitis C virus infection and expression of apoptosis-related gene bcl-2, bax and ICH-1 in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues].

Objective: To study the association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and expression of apoptosis-related gene bcl-2, bax and ICH-1, and explore the significance of HCV infection in the tumorigenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: The expression of HCV antigen (NS5) along with bcl-2, bax and ICH-1 proteins was investigated in 40 specimens of hepatocellular carcinomas by immunohistochemistry method, with 13 normal liver tissues serving as control.

Results: Eleven carcinoma specimens were positive for NS5 antigen, accounting for a positive rate of 27.5 %, and 5 tissue specimens adjacent to the carcinomas were identified as positive, with a rate of 12.5 %. Of the 11 carcinoma tissues positive for NS5, bcl-2 and bax were positive respectively in 1 case (showing a ratio of 1:1), and ICH-1L and ICH-1S were positive in 5 and 6 cases respectively (showing a ratio of 1:1.2). Among the 29 NS5-negative cases, bcl-2 and bax were positive in 6 and 7 cases respectively constituting a ratio of 1:1.4, while ICH-1L and ICH-1S were identified in 10 and 15 cases respectively, at the ratio of 1:1.5. No significant differences were found between NS5-positive and -negative groups (P>0.05).

Conclusion: Aberrant expression of bcl-2, bax and ICH-1 may be related to HCC genesis, but HCV infection may not be the principal cause for their expression aberrance.