Survivin expression in early hepatocellular carcinoma and post-treatment with anti-cancer drug under hypoxic culture condition

• Published in: World journal of gastroenterology : WJG Vol. 13; no. 40; pp. 5306 - 5311
• Main Authors: Mamori, Satoshi, Asakura, Tadashi, Ohkawa, Kiyoshi, Tajiri, Hisao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan%Department of Biochemistry 1, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan 28.10.2007; Baishideng Publishing Group Inc
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Biopsy; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - metabolism; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - pathology; Cell Hypoxia; Cell Line, Tumor; Epirubicin - pharmacology; Epirubicin - therapeutic use; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic - drug effects; Humans; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; Liver - drug effects; Liver - metabolism; Liver - pathology; Liver Cancer; Liver Neoplasms - drug therapy; Liver Neoplasms - metabolism; Liver Neoplasms - pathology; Male; Microtubule-Associated Proteins - genetics; Microtubule-Associated Proteins - metabolism; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Proteins - genetics; Neoplasm Proteins - metabolism; Survivin; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Hypoxia; Survivin
• ISSN: 1007-9327; 2219-2840
• DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i40.5306

To investigate the expression of survivin during the early stages of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Immunohistochemical expression of survivin in liver tumor and non-tumor tissue specimens taken from 17 patients was compared. In addition, to determine the survivin expression in response to anti-cancer drugs in early stage HCC, the survivin expression was determined after the treatment of the HCC cells with anti-cancer drugs under hypoxic culture conditions. Survivin proteins were expressed in 64.7% of cells in early HCC specimens. A correlation between the survivin expression rate in the peritumoral hepatocytes and the rate of expression in the HCC specimens (low-rate group vs high-rate group) was observed. The survivin protein concentration in HCC cells was increased by the combination of hypoxia and anti-cancer drugs. This study suggests that survivin could be used as a therapeutic target in early HCC.