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

Abstract

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.