Expression And Clinical Significance Of Angiotensin â…¡ Type 1 Receptor In Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective: To investigate the expression of angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) in human primary hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) and its relationship with the tumor pathological characteristics.Methods: Fresh tumor and normal liver tissues were obtained from 22 hepatocellular carcinoma patients after hepatectomy. Expression levels of angiotensin II type 1 receptor mRNA were quantitatively analyzed by real-time PCR. The protein level were analyzed by immunohistochemistry .Results: AT1R was expressed in all hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and normal liver tissues. The relative AT1R expression level in nomal liver tissues was higher than that in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues(P=0.0033<0.05). The patients who has negative HBsAg,normal AFP expression and better differentiated tumor express more AT1R mRNA. The expression of AT1R mRNA has no relationship with gender,age,cirrhosis nodus,tumor size,tumor capsule,tumor number,carcinoma embolus,metastasis and recurrence .Conclusion: Both the normal liver tissue and HCC tissue express AT1R. AT1R is expressed higher in normal liver tissues than that in HCC tissues. The low expression of AT1R related to the blood supply of HCC. It is also up-regulated in better differentiated HCC tissues compared to poorly differentiated HCC tissues. AT1R may be related to the differentiation of HCC.