RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of alloHST on recurrence and metastasis of HCC after hepatic radical resection and investigate the relationship between AFP mRNA, VEGF-C mRNA and recurrence and metastasis of HCC after hepatic radical resection. METHODS: 22 SCID mice were randomized into 3 groups: group A-the scheduled transplantation, group, B-the single transplantation, and group C-the normal saline group as control. Human umbilical cord blood was transplanted into SCID mice by tail vein, Six weeks after AlloHST, the orthotopic tumor model in SCID mice was established by implanting histologically intact tissue under the embrane of liver. Ten days later, the mice received resection of lobe bearing tumor. The condition of recurrence and metastasis was observed 4 weeks after operation. All groups were compared by routine pathological test and the expression of AFP mRNA and MAGE-1 mRNA in peripheral blood were examined by real time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR). RESULTS: All of the incidence of intrahepatic recurrence rate after operation in 3 groups were 100%, but recurrent tumor volume [(367.18 +/- 31.86) mm3, (648.26 +/- 155.22) mm3, (811.38 +/- 127.36) mm', P < 0.01)] and the incidence of lung metastasis (14.3%, 66.7%, 100%, P < 0.01) were different among groups,The inhibitory rate of group A and B was 54.7% and 20.1%. The expression of AFP mRNA in peripheral blood (1.95 +/- 0.92 vs. 5.23 +/- 1.96, 6.36 +/- 3.38, P = 0.02) and VEGF-C mRNA (2.48 +/- 2.25, 3.45 +/- 2.81, 6.60 +/- 5.81, P = 0.27) were also different that suggested the AFP mRNA and VEGF-C mRNA in peripheral blood were significantly correlated with recurrence and metastasis. CONCLUSION: AlloHST is a useful method for decreasing metastasis and recurrence in liver cancer after radical resection in early stage and appears to be quantity-effect relationship.