Cortactin Overexpression Correlates with Poor Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective： To investigate cortactin expression in hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） and explore its significance in the prognosis of HCC patients. Methods： Immunohistochemistry was performed for paraffin samples of 119 pairs of HCC tissues （HCCs） and paratumorous liver tissues （PTLTs） to evaluate cortactin expression. The cortactin expression difference in HCCs and PTLTs were analyzed by the McNemar＇s test. The relationship of cortactin expressions in HCCs and clinicopathologic factors was analyzed with Mann-Whitney U test. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were employed to compare the overall survival between Cortactin negative expression group, weak expression group and strong expression group. Expression of cortactin was further determined in 19 pairs of fresh HCCs and PTLTs specimens with Western blotting. Results： Cortactin expression rate was significantly higher in HCCs （53/119, 44.5%） than that in PTLTs （2/119, 1.7%） （P〈0.001）. The upregulated cortactin expression in HCCs was significantly correlated to absence of capsule formation （P=0.012）, vascular invasion （P=0.037） and high Edmondson-Steiner grade （P=0.020）, and predicted shorter overall survival. Western blotting demonstrated that cortactin expression was upregulated in 9 out of 19 HCCs （47.4%） compared to corresponding PTLTs. Conclusion： Cortactin expression is upregulated in HCC and is related to shorter overall survival of patients, suggesting that cortactin might play roles in the metastasis of HCC and predict a poor prognosis of HCC patients.

Expression of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-2 is Negatively Associated with Invasive Potential in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

Objective To investigate the association between plasminogen activator inhibitor(PAI)-2 expression and invasive potential in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) cells.Methods The HCC cell lines with high,low,and non-metastatic potentials,namely MHCC97-H,MHCC97-L,and SMMC-7721 respectively,were cultured in vitro.Matrigel invasion assay and Western blot of PAI-2 protein expression were conducted.Results The number of invaded cells in MHCC97-L was significantly higher than that in SMMC-7721(P=0.005),whereas that in MHCC97-H was higher than in MHCC97-L(P=0.017) and SMMC-7721(P=0.001).Contrarily,PAI-2 protein expression was gradually reducing from SMMC-7721,MHCC97-L,to MHCC97-H(MHCC97-H vs.MHCC97-L,P<0.001;MHCC97-H vs.SMMC-7721,P=0.001;MHCC97-L vs.SMMC-7721,P=0.001).The Pearson's correlation analysis revealed a significant negative association between invaded cell number and PAI-2 expression(r= 0.892,P=0.001).Conclusion PAI-2 expression may be negatively associated with the invasive potential of HCC.

Irinotecan-vs oxaliplatin-based regimens for neoadjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal liver metastasis patients:A retrospective study

BACKGROUND Neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NC)improves the survival outcomes of selected patients with colorectal liver metastasis(CRLM).The benefits of irinotecan-based regimens in these patients are still under debate.AIM To compare the benefits of irinotecan-and oxaliplatin-based regimens in patients with resectable CRLM.METHODS From September 2003 to August 2020,554 patients received NC and underwent hepatectomy for CRLM.Based on a 1:1 propensity score matching(PSM)model,175 patients who received irinotecan were matched to 175 patients who received oxaliplatin to obtain two balanced groups regarding demographic,therapeutic,and prognostic characteristics.RESULTS Chemotherapy was based on oxaliplatin in 353(63.7%)patients and irinotecan in 201(36.3%).After PSM,the 5-year progression-free survival(PFS)and overall survival(OS)rates with irinotecan were 18.0%and 49.7%,respectively,while the 5-year PFS and OS rates with oxaliplatin were 26.0%and 46.8%,respectively.Intraoperative blood loss,operating time,and postoperative complications differed significantly between the two groups.In the multivariable analysis,carbohydrate antigen 19-9,RAS mutation,response to NC,tumor size>5 cm,and tumor number>1 were inde-pendently associated with PFS.CONCLUSION In NC in patients with CRLM,irinotecan is similar to oxaliplatin in survival outcomes,but irinotecan is superior regarding operating time,intraoperative blood loss,and postoperative complications.