Rapid Communication
Copyright ©2007 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 14, 2007; 13(46): 6264-6268
Published online Dec 14, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i46.6264
Relationship between survivin expression and recurrence, and prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma
Chao-Ping Ye, Cheng-Zhi Qiu, Zhong-Xin Huang, Qi-Chen Su, Wei Zhuang, Rui-Lan Wu, Xin-Feng Li
Chao-Ping Ye, Cheng-Zhi Qiu, Wei Zhuang, Xin-Feng Li, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou 362000, Fujian Province, China
Zhong-Xin Huang, Qi-Chen Su, Rui-Lan Wu, Department of Pathology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou 362000, Fujian Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Chao-Ping Ye, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou 362000, Fujian Province, China. xulina9995@yahoo.com.cn
Telephone: +86-595-22780153 Fax: +86-595-22793591
Received: June 15, 2007
Revised: September 2, 2007
Accepted: October 13, 2007
Published online: December 14, 2007
Abstract

AIM: To study the expression of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein survivin in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and its correlation with clinicopathological factors, cell proliferation, recurrence and prognosis after hepatectomy.

METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining of survivin and Ki-67 was performed by the standard streptavidin-peroxidase technique on paraffin sections of 55 cases of HCC.

RESULTS: The positive rate of survivin in HCC was 52.7% (29/55). Significant correlation was found between survivin expression with portal vein thrombi and intrahepatic matastasistic nodes (P < 0.05). The recurrent rate in survivin-positive HCC was significantly higher than that in survivin-negative HCC after hepatectomy, the 1- and 3-year survival rate in patients with survivin-positive tumors was significantly lower than that in patients with survivin-negative tumors (58.62 and 10.34% vs 76.92 and 30.77%, P < 0.05, log-rank test). The proliferation index (Ki-67) in survivin-positive HCC (33.83% ± 18.90%) was significantly higher than that in survivin-negative HCC (19.60% ± 19.35%) (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Survivin may play an important role in progression of HCC by promoting cell proliferation, and may be positively correlated with high risk of disease recurrence and poor prognosis in HCC. Its expression may serve as a prognostic factor for patients with HCC after hepatectomy.

Keywords: Hepatocelluar carcinoma; Survivin; Proliferation index; Prognosis; Immunohistochemistry