The Expression And Clinical Significance Of LTBP2 In Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Object To explore the expression of latent TGF-? binding protein 2(LTBP2) in the serum and tissue of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) and their correlation to clinicopathologial features.Methods 96 patients with HCC,20 patients with liver cirrhosis and 20 healthy volunteers was selected as research objects.Serum levels of LTBP2 were determined by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The m RNA and protein expression levels of LTBP2 in 96 cases of HCC and corresponding paracarcinoma tissues were detected by immunohisochemistry(IHC). T-test/ANOVA and chi-square test was used for analyzing the clinical value of LTBP2 in diagnosis and judging the clinical biological behavior of HCC.Results The ELISA result showed that the contents of LTBP2 in the serum were most significantly differentially expressed in HCC group[(34.61±7.38)ng/ml], livercirrhosis group [(20.02±5.32)ng/ml] and control group[(15.72±7.73)ng/ml](P<0.05),and its contents in HCC group was closely associated with tumor size[?3cm:(35.95±8.03)ng/ml;<3cm(30.60±1.91)ng/ml,P<0.05]and infection of Hepatitis B virus[HBVgroup(36.58±5.63)ng/ml;no hepatitis group(27.63±11.60)ng/ml,P < 0.05]. q RT-PCR showed that the positive rates of LTBP2 m RNA expression in HCC tissue 68.8%(66/96)was significantly higher than that in paracarcinoma tissue to carcinoma18.8%(18/96)(?~2=48.762,P<0.05).The positive rates of LTBP2 m RNA expression in tumor diameter ?3cm group75.0%(54/72) was significantly higher than in the tumor diameter <3cm group 50.0%(12/24),(?~2=6.907,P<0.05); the positive rates of LTBP2 m RNA expression in HBV group, the non-viral hepatitis group and HCV group was 80.7%(46/57)?50.0%(12/12) and 53.3%(8/15),respectively, the difference was statistically significant,(?~2=9.331,P<0.05). IHC staining showed that the positive rates of LTBP2 protein expression in HCC tissue 60.4%(58/96)was significantly higher than that in corresponding paracarcinoma tissues 16.7%(16/96),(?~2=48.472,P<0.05). The positive rates of LTBP2 protein expression in tumor diameter ?3cm group 66.7%(48/72) was significantly higher than in the tumor diameter <3cm group 41.7%(10/24),(?~2 = 4.704, P <0.05); the positive rates of LTBP2 expression in HBV group, the non-viral hepatitis group and HCV group was 71.9%(41/57), 41.70%(10/24) and 46.7%(7/15),respectively, the difference was statistically significant,(?~2 = 7.873, P <0.05).Conclusions Serum LTBP2 level are significantly elevated in HCC patients,and the positive rates of LTBP2 m RNA and protein expression in HCC tissue was significantly higher than that in corresponding paracarcinoma tissues, it may be used as a potential biomarker in diagnosis and treatment of HCC.