ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression and mutation of PIK3CA gene in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HCC samples and the corresponding adjacent tissues were collected from the surgical patients with pathologically verified diagnosis. The exons 1, 9 and 20 of PIK3CA gene were detected by PCR-SSCP and DNA sequencing. Immnohistochemistry was employed to test the expression of PIK3CA gene in these samples.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No mutation was found in exons 1, 9 or 20 of PIK3CA gene in the HCC tissue and the adjacent tissues by PCR-SSCP and DNA sequencing, while abnormal superimposed peaks were found on the sequence map of exon 9 in 25 cases of HCC tissue. Immunohistochemistry showed that expression of PIK3CA was higher in the HCC tissue than in the corresponding adjacent tissue (50.81% vs 14.75%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PIK3CA gene mutation may exist in HCC in Guangxi, which can be associated with the development of HCC, but the ratio of hotspot mutations is low.</p>