Expression Of Survivin Protein In Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tissues And Its Relationship With HBV Infection

【objective】Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is one of the most common malignant tumor in the world ,and plays a third position in China.About 80% hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)patients are corelated to hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection. (the epidemiological survey shows )that people who hepatitis BS antigen(HBsAg)positive persistend infection have the incidence of HCC 100 times higher than people who HBV negative. Hepatitis B virus X protein(HBx) is the only protein expressed in hepatic cell malignant transformation. It is closely correlated to the occurrence and development of HCC. Survivin ,(as a mumber of the IAPs family ),is expressed both in prenatal development tissues and many kinds of human tumors.It can inhibit the activity of the effective molecule caspase-3 ,which could block up the apoptosis. This issue has a great effect for the tummer growth .To investigate the relationship between HBV infection and survivin gene may help us to know the mechanism of the development of HCC. And this will supply a new theory for the early diagnosis and a new method for tumor therapy.【Methods】1 The expressions of surviving in 45 cancer tissues,25 ajacent cirrhosis tissues,8 hepatic cirrhosis tissues,5 hepaptisis tissues and 10 normal tissues were assessed by immunohistochemical method and the expression of HBsAg in cancer tissues by the same method.2 Using western-blot and RT-PCR method to compare the expression of survivin in the HepG2.215 and HepG2 cells. HepG2.215 is persistently expresses Hepatitis B virus by integrated HBV genome with its parent cell line HepG2.【Results】1. The positive rate of the expression of survivin in HCC is 75.5%, in hepatic cirrhosis tissues in the side of cancer is 44.4%,in the hepatic cirrhosis tissues is 0%,in hepatitis is 0%,in the mormal hepatic tissues is negative.Survivin protein positive expression rate in HCC was significantly higher than that in hepatic cirrhosis , hepaptisis tissues and 10 normal tissues(p>0.001). Expression of survivin protein was significantly higher in those of Edmondson grade III-IV than in those of grade I-II(P=0.014),but was no differences in age, sex, tumor size, clinical stage and local metastasis (p>0.05).2. The positive rate of the expression of HBsAg in HCC is 66.7%. Expression of survivin protein was correlated with the expression of HbsAg (r=0.366,p=0.014).3. Comparing with the HepG2 cells, the protein content of survivin in the HepG2.215 cells was obviously higher by the Western Blot.4. This is agreement with the previous results from RT-PCR.【Conclusion】1.This research find the expression of survivin in HCC was significantly higher than that in hepatic cirrhosis, hepaptisis tissues and 10 normal tissues (p>0.001). Survivin make a high expression in HCC,which provides more sufficient theory accordance for targeting treatment of survivin.2.Expression of survivin protein was significantly higher in those of Edmondson grade III-IV than in those of grade I-II(P=0.014),but was no differences in age, sex, tumor size, clinical stage and local metastasis (p>0.05). Which means the up-regulation of surviving gene will be correlated with the malignant level of HCC.3. Expression of survivin protein was correlated with the expression of HBsAg.It is means during the process of HBV infection the transactivation of HBx may up-regulate the expression of survivin, and growth to HCC.4.Comparing with the HepG2 cells, the expression of survivin in the HepG2.215 cells is obviously higher by the Western -Blot and RT-PCR. It demonstrate longtime HBV infection may up-regulation the expression of survivin to promote the development of HCC.