Expression of nuclear factor-kappa B p65 in hepatocellular carcinoma and its significance

Objective To investigate the expression of nuclear factor-kappa B ( NF-κB) p65 in cancer tissue and adjacent tissue using hepatoma tissue microarray, as well as its significance in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC) . Methods The hepatoma tissue microarray HLiv H180 Su05 was used to analyze 81 cancer tissue samples and 81 adjacent tissue samples. Surgery was performed from May 2006 to May 2007, and the patients were followed up to February 2012. Of all patients, 46 experienced recurrence and35 did not experience recurrence. According to the TNM staging of gallbladder carcinoma developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer, 56 had stage I tumor and 25 had stage II tumor; 28 had tumor thrombus and 53 had no tumor thrombus. Immunohistochemistry was used to measure the expression of NF-κB p65, and its association with other factors was analyzed. On the basis of the localization of the protein to be measured, a comprehensive evaluation was performed based on the intensity of positive signal and the number of positive cells.The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups, the Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis, and the log-rank test was used for the comparison of survival rates. Results NF-κB p65 protein was located in the cytoplasm and some nuclei in cancer tissue and adjacent tissue, with positive rates of 90. 12% in the cancer tissue and 69. 14% in the adjacent tissue, and there was a significant difference in positive rate between the cancer tissue and the adjacent tissue ( χ2= 10. 998, P = 0. 001) . The expression of NF-κB p65 protein in cancer tissue was not associated with clinical stage, tumor thrombus, or the presence or absence of recurrence ( all P > 0. 05) . Conclusion HCC tissue has higher expression of NF-κB p65 than adjacent tissue. The key to the regulation of NF-κB function is to inhibit the promotional effect of Rel A ( p65) on liver tumor. Therefore, inhibiting the activity of NF-κB p65 may suppress the differentiation and growth of tumor cells, providing a new idea for clinical treatment of HCC.