Abstract:

Abstract:Objective To investigate the corrrelation between hepatitis B virus X protein(HBx) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expressions and angiogenesis and metastasis in HBV related hepatocellular carcinoma tissue.Methods Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of HBx,VEGF and CD34 in 84 cases of HBV related hepatocellular  carcinoma and 22 case of non-HBV related hepatocellular carcinoma tissues,the microvascular density(MVD) was recorded under optical microscope.Results The positive expression rate of HBx in 84 cases of HBV related hepatocellular carcinoma tissues was 73.81% (62/84),the negative rate was 26.19% (22／84).The positive expression rate of VEGF   in 62 cases of HBx positive expression was 74.19 % (46／62),which was significantly higher than those in   22  hepatocellular carcinoma tissues with HBx negative expression (36.36%,8／22) and  22 non-HBV related hepatocellular carcinoma tissues(36.36%，8/22),while there was   no statistically significant difference of VEGF prositive expression between HBV related hepatocellular carcinoma tissue with   HBx negative expression and non-HBV related hepaocellular  carcinoma tissue(P>0.05).HBx has positive correlation with VEGF（Rs= 0.552,P<0.05).The expressions of HBx and VEGF in well differentiation group were higher than those in  poor differentiation group(P<0.05),and the expressions of HBx and VEGF in metastasis group were higher than those in non-metastasis group.The MVD in HBx positive expression group was significantly higher than those in HBx negative expression group and non-HBV related hepacellular carcinoma  group (P<0.01),the MVD in metastasis group was higher than that in non-metastasis group (P<0.01),and the MVD in portal vein invasion group was higher than that in non-invasion group (P<0.05).Conclusion HBx and VEGF widely express in HBV related hepatocellular carcinoma tissues,and they have positive relationship.HBx may play an important role in angiogenesis and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma by up-regulating the VEGF expression.

Key words: liver neoplasms;hepatitis B virus X protein;vascular endothelial growth factor;microvascular density