Expression of liver-type fatty acid-binding protein and vascular endothelial growth factor and their correlation in human hepatocellular carcinoma / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the expression of liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its adjacent liver tissues, and investigate the correlation between the expressions of L-FABP and VEGF and their role in the occurrence and progression of HCC.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining were employed to examine the expression of L-FABP and VEGF in HCC and its adjacent liver tissues obtained from the surgical specimens of 61 HCC patients who underwent liver resections in West China hospital.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The results of RT-PCR showed that the expression level of L-FABP and VEGF in HCC was significantly higher than that in its adjacent liver tissues (L-FABP 0.97-/+0.12, 0.83-/+0.14, t=5.21, P<0.05; VEGF 0.92-/+0.11, 0.59-/+0.15, t=11.79, P<0.05). L-FABP tended to co-express with VEGF (P<0.05). IHC staining revealed that the expression of L-FABP and VEGF was mainly located in the cytoplasm, and the gray scale of L-FABP expression was significantly higher than that in the adjacent liver tissues (92.73-/+7.67, 82.83-/+6.90, t=7.44, P<0.05). The number of L-FABP- and VEGF-positive cells in HCC was significantly lower than that in the adjacent liver tissues (L-FABP 92.18-/+4.44, 84.52-/+6.43, t=5.94, P<0.05; VEGF 88.69-/+5.56, 77.64-/+5.93, t=8.72, P<0.05). Co-expression of L-FABP and VEGF observed in RT-PCR and also in IHC (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Both L-FABP and VEGF expressions are up-regulated in HCC. L-FABP gene may be involved in the carcinogenesis of human HCC. Expression of L-FABP is associated with VEGF expression, suggesting that L-FABP promotes the growth of blood vessels by taking up the fatty acids from the bloodstream, and both of them produce a marked effect on energy metabolism in HCC.</p>