Abstract
The current case-control study was conducted to assess the value of activated fibroblasts with high α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression as an indicator of survival in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. In total, 47 patients diagnosed with HCC who underwent a liver biopsy at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Memphis, TN, USA) between January 2000 and December 2009, and 10 age- and gender-matched controls with normal liver biopsy samples were included in the study. The immunohistochemical staining for α-SMA was performed and classified qualitatively and quantitatively within tumor stroma and perisinusoidal spaces. HCC patients with high qualitative and quantitative expression of α-SMA revealed a statistically significant negative correlation with 3-year [odds ratio (OR), 0.021 and 0.111; P=0.001 and 0.0302, respectively] and 1.5-year (OR, 0.040 and 0.051; P=0.0330 and 0.0492, respectively) survival rates in comparison with low expression. The results of the present study demonstrated a predictive role of high qualitative and quantitative expression in activated fibroblasts for poor survival in patients with HCC.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
