Expression of livin and smac and their relationship with cell apoptosis and proliferation in heptocarcinoma

Objective To investigate the expression of Livin and Smac proteins in hepatocarcinoma and their relationships with cell apoptosis and proliferation.Methods The expression of Livin, Smac and PCNA were assessed in 41 hepatocarcinomas, 41 adjacent cirrhosis tissues and 9 normal tissues in hemangioma by immunohistochemistry and apoptosis was detected by TUNEL method.Results The expression rate of Livin and Smac proteins were 46.34% and 34.14% in hepatocarcinoma patients, 24.39% and 56.10% in the adjacent cirrhosis tissues, and 0 and 77.8% in normal tissues hemangioma, respectively.A statistically significant correlation of Livin and Smac proteins expression was found between hepatocarcinoma and non hepatocarcinoma groups (P < 0.05) .Livin expression in hepatocarcinoma was significantly correlated with tumor metastasis (P < 0.05) , and both proteins in cancer tissues were significantly correlated with the ratio of apoptic index to proliferative index (P < 0.05) .The expression levels of Livin and Smac showed a negative correlation in hepatocarcinoma (rs =-0.360, P =0.021, P <0.05) .Conclusion The relatively high expression of Livin and the low expression or depletion of Smac proteins may alter the dynamic balance between the apoptosis and proliferation of hepatocarcinoma cells to a certain extent, and then play an important role in the oncogenesis of hepatocarcinoma.