Immunohistochemical study of lung metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma – comparison of metastatic and non-metastatic groups in autopsy cases -*
This study was undertaken to detect factors for predicting lung metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at its diagnosis by the fine-needle aspiration biopsy method. The subjects were 139 autopsy cases who were divided into two groups ; with and without lung metastasis. They were clinicopathoiogically compared to obtain a standard for evaluating the following marker stains. Of the 139 cases, 68 were examined immunohistochemically for the expression of E-cadherin, laminin, CD34, P21/CIPI/Waf1，P27/KIPI . The results indicated that, in addition to the presence of vascular invasion, the clinicopathological indices including a high AFP titer, lymph node metastasis, a high mitotic index (MI) level, and poor cellular differentiation as well as loss of the E-cadherin marker expression, respectively, could be indicative of potentiality for lung metastasis in HCC autopsy cases. (Accepted on July 8, 1998) Kawasaki Igakkaishi 24(1):35-45, 1998
