ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expressions of leptin and leptin receptor in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and explore the clinicopathological significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expressions of leptin and leptin receptor were examined by immunohistochemistry in 81 HCC patients undergoing curative tumor resection. The correlations between the expression of two biomarkers and the clinicopathological factors were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The overexpression rate of leptin and leptin receptor in HCC was 56.8% and 35.8%, respectively. No significant correlation was observed between their overexpression (r=0.236, P=0.034). Leptin receptor overexpression was significantly correlated to the tumor size and TNM stage (P<0.05), but not to age, body mass index, α-fetoprotein, hepatitis B surface antigen status, tumor grade, vascular invasion, or liver cirrhosis (P≥0.05). Leptin overexpression showed no significant correlations to the above clinicopathological factors (P≥0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Leptin receptor overexpression may have an inhibitory effect on hepatocellular carcinoma. The expression status of leptin receptor decides the action of leptin and leptin receptor after their binding.</p>