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DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1668938
Expression, cellular distribution, and prognostic relevance of olfactomedin 4 in hepatocellular carcinoma
Publikationsverlauf
Publikationsdatum:
13. August 2018 (online)
Purpose:
Olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4) is a secreted glycoprotein predominantly expressed in bone marrow and gastrointestinal tract. Aberrant expression of OLFM4 in human cancers has been reported, but its biological function and significance remain poorly understood in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The purpose of this study is to examine the expression pattern of OLFM4 and its prognostic significance in patients with HCC.
Experimental design:
Immunohistochemical staining to assess expression and cellular distribution of OLFM4 was performed by using a tissue micro array comprising HCC tissues and matched non-tumor tissues from 157 HCC patients. Clinicopathologic characteristics and survival were analysed in 95 patients who underwent partial hepatectomy.
Results:
The fraction of HCC samples exhibiting positive OLFM4 staining in both cytoplasm and membrane was higher in comparison to that observed in hepatocytes from matched non-tumour tissue (61% vs. 39%). Cytoplasmic staining for OLFM4 was associated with poorer survival (p = 0.008), vascular invasion (p = 0.048) and MMP-7 expression (p = 0.002). Multivariate analysis confirmed that cytoplasmic staining of OLFM4 is significantly correlated with poorer 5-year survival {58.3 vs. 17.3%; HR: 2.135 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1,135 – 4.015]; p = 0.019}.
Conclusion:
Expression of OLFM4 is associated with poorer survival and markers of invasive growth, indicating that this protein might play an important role in determining the aggressiveness of HCC and might serve as a prognostic marker.
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