Expressions of chromogranin A and cathepsin D in human primary hepatocellular carcinoma
摘要
AIM To determine the expression and clinicalsignificance of chromogranin A and cathepsin Din hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).METHODS Double immunofluorescence stain-ing techniques combined with laser confocalscanning microscopy(LSCM)was used toinvestigate chromogranin A and cathepsin Dexpressions in 85 HCC patients.RESULTS Cathepsin D was expressed in :3normal liver tissues,while in HCC the stainingshowed regional variation and the fraction ofstrongly stained cells increased as the tumorsbecame less differentiated and usually clinicallymore malignant.Cells which showed strongpositivity for cathepsin D were present in 71/85(83.5%)cases.Strong expression of cathepsinD in cancer cells was related tohistopathological features.They were morecommon in grade 3-4(26/28,92.9%)and grade2(46/53,86.8%)tumors than in grade 1 tumors(1/4,25.0%)(P 0.05)tumors.The coexpression of CgA andcathepsin D was found by double labeledimmunofluorescence staining techniques.Theprocessing of cathepsin D was disturbed in HCCcells and accumulated in the cells.Cathepsin Dhad proteolytic activity and autocrine mitogeniceffect,suggesting their functions in invasion.These findings demonstrated that the expressionof cathepsin D in HCC had prognostic value.CONCLUSION Chromogranin A and cathepsin Dare expressed in a high proportion of HCC andthe existence of cathepsin D in HCC might berelated to processing of CgA.This is clearly asubject for further studies because of itspotential clinical applications.