DEC1 nuclear expression: A marker of differentiation grade in hepatocellular carcinoma

Figure 1 Differentiated embryo chondrocyte 1 expression in normal liver tissue by immunohistochemical staining. A: Normal liver tissues showing strong nuclear differentiated embryo chondrocyte 1 (DEC1) staining and diffuse cytoplasmic staining in hepatocytes, × 400; B: Strong granular staining of DEC1 in cytoplasm of hepatocytes around the central vein in the intact hepatic lobule, × 200; C: Absent granular staining and diffuse DEC1 staining pattern around portal area, × 400; D: Liver mesenchymal tissues, × 400. Endothelial cells (single arrow) and bile duct epithelial cells (double arrow) showing cytoplasm and/or nuclear DEC1 immunoreactivity.

Figure 2 Differentiated embryo chondrocyte 1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma by immunohistochemical staining. A: Well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), × 100. Intense nuclear staining in HCC (right inset), and weak nuclear staining in the corresponding adjacent non-tumor tissues (left inset), with no significant difference in cytoplasmic staining; B: Moderately-differentiated HCC, × 200; C: Poorly-differentiated HCC, × 200. Inserted figure (at high magnification) showing differentiated embryo chondrocyte 1 (DEC1) staining in the cytoplasm and nucleus, × 400; D: Quantitation of DEC1 nuclear expression in HCC by different differentiation status. ^aP < 0.05.