Significance of downregulation of liver fatty acid-binding protein in hepatocellular carcinoma

Table 1 Clinicopathological characteristics of the cases n (%)

Characteristics	n = 146
Age (yr)	64.2 ± 10.1
36-60	49 (33.6)
61-70	51 (34.9)
71-82	46 (31.5)
Gender
Male	105 (72.0)
Female	41 (28.0)
Viral infection
HBV	32 (22.0)
HCV	98 (67.1)
NonB nonC	16 (10.9)
Child-Pugh classification
A	139 (95.2)
B	7 (4.8)
C	0 (0)
Background liver tissue
Normal	4 (2.8)
Chronic hepatitis	56 (39.7)
Liver cirrhosis	81 (57.5)
Tumor size (mm)	27.3 ± 25.4
8-10	7 (4.8)
11-20	78 (53.4)
21-30	29 (19.9)
31-250	32 (21.9)
Differentiation
Well	33 (22.6)
Moderate	93 (63.7)
Poor	20 (13.7)
Pseudoglandular pattern
Absent	97 (66.4)
Present	49 (33.6)
Nuclear grade
Low	116 (79.5)
High	30 (20.5)
Fatty change
Absent	121 (82.9)
Present	25 (17.1)
Inflammation
Absent	75 (51.4)
Present	71 (48.6)
Fibrosis
Absent	104 (71.2)
Present	42 (28.8)
Cholestasis
Absent	95 (65.0)
Present	51 (35.0)
Tumor stage
1	65 (44.5)
2	61 (41.8)
3	16 (11.0)
4	4 (2.7)
L-FABP immunostaining
Negative	16 (10.9)
Positive	130 (89.1)
CK 7 immunostaining
Negative	68 (46.6)
Positive	78 (53.4)
CK 19 immunostaining
Negative	136 (93.2)
Positive	10 (6.8)
β-catenin immunostaining
Negative	101 (69.2)
Positive	45 (30.8)
GS immunostaining
Negative	110 (75.3)
Positive	36 (24.7)
SAA immunostaining
Negative	136 (93.2)
Positive	10 (6.8)

HBV: Hepatitis B virus; HCV: Hepatitis C virus; L-FABP: Liver fatty acid-binding protein; CK: Cytokeratin; GS: Glutamine synthetase; SAA: Serum amyloid A. Background liver tissue could not be evaluated in five cases.