ESM-1作为肝癌血管内皮标志物的意义

Significance of Endothelial Cell Specific Molecule 1 as A Biomarker of Endothelium in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

目的研究内皮细胞特异性分子1(ESM-1)在肝细胞癌(HCC)中的表达及其意义。方法利用表达谱芯片技术比较3例HCC和癌旁肝组织基因表达的差异,筛选出与肿瘤内皮细胞功能有关的基因群。采用免疫组织化学SABC法检测100例HCC及其癌旁肝组织和16例正常肝组织中ESM-1的表达。结果表达谱芯片技术获得112条差异表达基因,其中与内皮细胞功能有关的基因6条(包括ESM-1)。ESM-1特异性表达于HCC的血管内皮细胞,而癌旁肝组织和正常肝组织的血管内皮则几乎不表达。ESM-1的表达水平和HCC的镜下静脉浸润密切相关(P<0.05)。ESM-1高表达组的无瘤存活率低于ESM-1低表达组,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论 ESM-1与HCC的恶性生物学行为、血管生成以及不良预后密切相关。

Objective To study the significance of the expression of endothelial cell specific molecule 1（ESM-1） in hepatocellular carcinoma（HCC）.Methods The molecular profile of endothelium was studied through gene expression profiling technique in 3 cases of HCC and their respective paraneoplastic tissue.The expressions of ESM-1 in 100 samples of HCC and their corresponding paraneoplastic tissues and 16 samples of normal liver tissues were studied through immunohistochemistry assay.Results One hundred and twelve genes was differentially expressed in 3 cases of HCC,including 6 genes which were functionally correlated with endothelial cells.ESM-1 was one of the 6 genes.ESM-1 was specifically expressed in the endothelium of HCC tissues and no expression was found in the paraneoplastic liver tissues and normal liver tissue.The expression of ESM-1 in HCC with microscopic venous invasion was significantly higher than those in HCC without microscopic venous invasion（P0.05）.1,2,3 cancer-free survival rates in patients with low ESM-1 expression were 61.0%,38.0% and 19.0% respectively and those in patients with high ESM-1 expression were 43.4%,7.0% and 0,respectively.The difference of the cancer-free survival rates between the high ESM-1 group and low ESM-1 group was significant（P0.05）.Conclusion The expression of ESM-1 was not only correlated with the malignant behaviors including neovascularization and venous invasion,but also with the poor prognosis of HCC patients.