ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the expression of Nusap1 of surgical margins in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and investigate its association with early tumor recurrence.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of Nusap1 in the surgical margins of HCC, which were histopathologically negative for tumor cells, was examined using immunohistochemistry in 61 HCC cases.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Fifteen of 21 (71.4%) cases with immunohistochemical positivity for Nusap1 expression in the surgical margins had early recurrence of HCC, a rate significantly higher than that in patients with negative Nusap1 expression (12/40, 30%) (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Nusap1 expression in the surgical margins of HCC is closely correlated to early postoperative recurrence and can serve as an indicator for predicting early recurrence of HCC.</p>