The Role of Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule Cancer Stem Cell Marker in Evaluation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
Medicina (Kaunas)
; 60(6)2024 May 30.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38929532
ABSTRACT
Background and Objectives:
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent form of malignancy that is characterized by high mortality rates and prognosis that remain suboptimal, largely due to treatment resistance mechanisms. Recent studies have implicated cancer stem cells (CSCs), particularly those expressing epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), in HCC progression and resistance. In the present study, we sought to assess EpCAM expression in HCC patients and its correlation with various clinicopathological parameters. Materials andMethods:
Tissue samples from 42 HCC patients were subjected to immunohistochemical staining to evaluate EpCAM expression. Clinicopathological data were obtained including the size, grade and stage of tumors, vascular invasion status, alpha-fetoprotein levels, and cirrhosis status. The Chi square and Fisher's exact tests were employed to assess the association between categorical groups. Independent Student-t test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to investigate the association between continuous patient characteristics and survival.Results:
Immunohistochemical analysis revealed EpCAM expression in 52.5% of HCC cases. EpCAM-positive tumors exhibited characteristics indicative of aggressive disease, including larger tumor sizes (p = 0.006), greater tumor multiplicity (p = 0.004), higher grades (p = 0.002), more advanced stages (p = 0.003), vascular invasion (p = 0.023), elevated alpha-fetoprotein levels (p = 0.013), and cirrhosis (p = 0.052). Survival analysis demonstrated that EpCAM expression was significantly associated with lower overall rates of survival and higher rates of recurrence in HCC patients.Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that EpCAM expression may serve as a prognostic biomarker for HCC with a potential role in patient management. Targeting EpCAM-positive CSCs may represent a promising approach to overcome treatment resistance and improve clinical outcomes in HCC. However, further investigation into the molecular mechanisms underlying EpCAM's role in HCC progression is warranted to facilitate the development of personalized therapeutic interventions.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Bases de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Células-Tronco Neoplásicas
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Biomarcadores Tumorais
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Carcinoma Hepatocelular
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Molécula de Adesão da Célula Epitelial
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Neoplasias Hepáticas
Limite:
Adult
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Aged
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Medicina (Kaunas)
/
Medicina (Kaunas. Online)
Assunto da revista:
MEDICINA
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Egito