Activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase in non-cancerous liver tissue predicts a high risk of recurrence after hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Hepatic resection is the mainstay of curative treatment for early stage HCC. Although c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation contributes to hepatocyte proliferation and HCC development in mice, the extent of involvement of JNK in human HCC development is unknown. The aim of this study is to assess the predictive value of JNK for postoperative recurrence in HCC. METHODS: From April 2005 to March 2008, 159 patients underwent curative resection for HCC. From the 159 patients, 20 patients each matched for age, gender and etiology were registered as three groups: (i) without recurrence (no recurrence group), (ii) with recurrence within one year after surgery (early recurrence group), and (iii) with recurrence at one year or more after surgery (late recurrence group) (a cross-sectional control study). We investigated factors contributing to postoperative early and late phase recurrence. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis using a Logistic regression model showed that JNK activity in non-cancerous liver tissue was correlated with postoperative late recurrence. (P = 0.02, odds ratio; 5.79, 95% confidence interval [CI]; 1.33-25.36). CONCLUSIONS: JNK activity in non-cancerous liver tissue is considered as a reliable predictive biomarker for post-operative recurrence in HCC.