The Significance Of Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 Receptor And Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Expression In Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective: To investigate the expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor( IGF-1R), vascular endothelial growth factor( VEGF) and their relationships between clinicopathologic features in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC). Methods: Immunohistochemical En Vision method was utilized to detect the expression of IGF-1R and VEGF, MVD was marked by antibody CD34 and counted. The follow-up data of the cases of HCC was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method for survival with log-rank test. Results:(1)In 51 cases of HCC, IGF-1R protein showed a high expression in 34 cases(66.7%)and low in 17 cases(33.3%); while the tumor-adjacent tissues showed a high expression of IGF-1R protein in 20 cases(39.2%)low in 31 cases(60.8%), the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).(2)Expression of VEGF protein in the carcinoma tissues was higher in 38 cases(74.5%), and low in 13 cases(25.5%); the tumor-adjacent tissues had a high expression of 21 cases(41.2%)and low expression of 30 cases(58.8%), there was significant difference between them(P<0.05).(3)In 51 cases of HCC, the number of IGF-1R,VEGF protein overexpression in histological gradeⅢ+Ⅲwas significantly more than in gradeⅠ+Ⅰ(P<0.05); in TNM stageⅢ+Ⅲwas significantly more than in the stagⅠ+Ⅰ( P<0.05), moreover, the vascular infiltration group was significantly more than group without vascular invasion(P< 0.05). But there was no significant difference between different tumor size, different gender, age, alcohol intake history, HBs Ag, AFP, tumor number and with or without liver cirrhosis(P>0.05).(4)The value of MVD was higher in HCC than that in tumor-adjacent tissues(231.87±110.65 vs 146.08±64.68)(P<0.05).(5)By Spearman rank correlation analysis, the level of MVD was positively correlated with IGF-1R protein expression(r=0.362,P=0.006)and VEGF protein expression(r=0.385, P=0.003); moreover, the expression of IGF-1R and VEGF protein was also positive correlation(r= 0.475, P=0.000).(6)By survival analysis of the 38 cases of HCC with follow-up data, the difference in terms of the rate of recurrence and metastasis between the high and low expression of IGF-1R and VEGF protein was significant(P<0.05), but had no difference in terms of the survival rate(P>0.05). It also showed significance difference in terms of the rate of recurrence and metastasis between the group of high and low value of MVD(P<0.05), but had no difference in terms of the survival rate( P>0.05). Conclusion:IGF-1R and VEGF protein in HCC may have a synergistic effect to each other and both of them are associated with the malignant degree of HCC, that suggust IGF-1R and VEGF may promote the occurrence and development of HCC and they all promote the neovasculation in HCC. The expression of IGF-1R and VEGF can be used as a marker to evaluate the prognosis of HCC.