MicroRNA Signatures for circulating CD133-positive cells in hepatocellular carcinoma with HCV infection

AIM

Molecular characterization of the CD133+ stem cells associated with hepatocarinogensis through identifying the expression patterns of specific microRNAs (miRNAs).

METHODS

We investigated the expression pattern of 13 miRNAs in purified CD133+ cells separated from the peripheral blood of healthy volunteers, chronic hepatitis C (CHC), liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients a long with bone marrow samples from the healthy volunteers and the LC patients using custom miScript miRNA PCR array.

RESULTS

The differential expression of the 13 studied miRNAs in CD133+ cells separated from the HCC patients' peripheral blood compared to the controls revealed that miR-602, miR-181b, miR-101, miR-122, miR-192, miR-125a-5p, and miR-221 were significantly up regulated (fold change = 1.8, 1.7, 2, 5.4, 1.6, 2.9 & 1.5 P value = 0.039, 0.0019, 0.0013, 0.0370, 00024, 0.000044 &0.000007 respectively). As for the HCC group compared to the CHC group; miR-602, miR-122, miR-181b, miR-125a-5p, and miR-192 were significantly up regulated (fold change = 13, 3.1, 2.8, 1.6 & 1.56, P value = 0.01, 0.001, 0.000004, 0.002 & 0.007 respectively). Upon comparing the HCC group to the LC group; miR-199a-3p, miR-192, miR-122, miR-181b, miR-224, miR-125a-5p, and miR-885-5p were significantly up regulated (fold change = 5, 6.7, 2.3, 3, 2.5, 4.2 & 39.5 P value = 0.001025, 0.000024, 0.000472, 0.000278, 0.000004, 0.000075 & 0.0000001 respectively) whereas miR-22 was significantly down regulated (fold change = 0.57 P value = 0.00002). Only, miR-192, miR-122, miR-181b and miR-125a-5p were significant common miRNAs in CD133+ cells of the HCC group compared to the other non-malignant groups.

CONCLUSION

We identified a miRNA panel comprised of four miRNAs (miR-192, miR-122, miR-181b and miR-125a-5p) that may serve as a molecular tool for characterization of the CD133+ cells associated with different stages of hepatocarinogensis. This panel may aid in developing a new target therapy specific for those CD133+ cells.

Abstract PD5-06: Prognostic value of molecular tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (mTIL) signatures in HER2-positive breast cancer patients in N9831 and FinHer/FinXX trials

Background: While previous study showed that the enrichment of immune-related gene expression was associated with outcome in HER2+ patients receiving sequential or concurrent trastuzumab (H), stromal tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (sTIL) have not been consistently shown to associate with outcome in this group of patients. Given that TIL scoring may be subjective, we analyzed molecular signatures of different subsets of tumor infiltrating immune cell populations, using NanoStringTM gene expression data to assess molecular TIL (mTIL) signature enrichment and intrinsic subtype as a function of relapse-free survival (RFS).

Methods: NanoStringTM technology was used to quantify mRNA in samples from 1,280 patients in N9831, 168 patients in FinHer, and 170 patients in FinXX. In N9831, patients in arm A were treated with chemotherapy alone (AC-T), arm B received chemotherapy followed by sequential H (AC-T-H), and arm C received H concurrently with chemotherapy (AC-TH). In the FinHer trial, H was given concurrently for 9 weeks and either 1 year or 9 weeks in FinXX trial. Cox proportional hazard ratio (HR) was used to determine the association of each gene signature with RFS. Different immune subset signatures, including CD45, B-cells, CD8 T-cells, cytotoxic-cells, and T-cells were analyzed using algorithms developed by NanoString.

Results: In N9831, CD45, cytotoxic-cell, and T-cell signatures were significantly associated with improved RFS in patients receiving chemotherapy alone and AC-T-H. However, none of the mTIL signatures were significantly associated with outcome in patients receiving AC-TH. Patients lacking CD45 enrichment had better outcome when H was given concurrently with chemotherapy. The 10-year Kaplan-Meier estimates for RFS in arm B patients with CD45 enrichment or no enrichment were 81.3% and 72.6%, respectively (HR 0.63 [95% CI, 0.42-0.93]; p = 0.02), and in arm C were 83.6% and 79.8%, respectively (HR 0.79, 95%CI 0.49-1.28; p = 0.34). Among patients with HER2-enriched subtype, all of the mTIL signatures were associated with improved RFS in arm A (AC-T) and B (AC-T-H) but remained non-significant in arm C (AC-TH). In patients with luminal subtypes, mTIL signatures were not significantly associated with outcome in patients treated with chemotherapy alone. Similar findings were observed in the FinHer and FinXX trials, in which, none of mTIL signatures were significantly associated with outcome among patients who received H.

Conclusion: This analysis sheds light on previous discrepancy between immune-related gene signature and sTIL findings. Our data also suggests that the poor prognosis associated with lack of infiltrating immune cells can be partly overcome by the concomitant administration of H with chemotherapy. mTIL signatures, specifically CD45, cytoxic, and T cells, were prognostically associated with improved outcome in patients receiving chemotherapy without concurrent trastuzumab. Understanding the role of the immune system in response to H will require a higher degree of granularity than can be achieved by histological quantification of TILs. Further studies are needed to validate the significance of mTIL signatures as predictive or prognostic biomarker in HER+ patients.

Citation Format: Chumsri S, Serie DJ, Mashadi-Hossein A, Tenner KS, Lauttia SL, Moreno-Aspitia A, McLaughlin SA, Nassar A, Warren S, Danaher P, Colon-Otero G, Lindman H, Joensuu H, Perez EA, Thompson EA. Prognostic value of molecular tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (mTIL) signatures in HER2-positive breast cancer patients in N9831 and FinHer/FinXX trials [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PD5-06.

Circulating Serum miRNAs as Diagnostic Markers for Colorectal Cancer

AIM

The study was designed to assess the possibility of using circulating miRNAs (serum miRNAs) as diagnostic biomarkers in colorectal cancer (CRC) and to identify their possibility as candidates for targeted therapy.

METHODS

The study involved two sample sets: 1- a training set which included 90 patients with colorectal related disease (30 with CRC, 18 with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), 18 with colonic polyps (CP) and 24 with different colonic symptoms but without any colonoscopic abnormality who were enrolled as control group) and 2- a validation set which included 100 CRC patients. Serum miRNAs were extracted from all subjects to assess the expression profiles for the following miRNAs (miR-17, miR-18a, miR-19a, miR-19b, miR-20a, miR-21, miR-146a, miR-223, miR-24, miR-454, miR-183, miR-135a, miR- 135b and miR- 92a) using the custom miScript miRNA PCR-based sybergreen array. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the studied miRNAs for colorectal cancer diagnosis.

RESULTS

Data analysis of miRNA from the training set showed that; compared to control group, only miR-19b was significantly up-regulated in patients with IBD group (fold change = 5.24, p = 0.016), whereas in patients with colonic polyps, miR-18a was significantly up-regulated (fold change = 3.49, p-value = 0.018). On the other hand, miR-17, miR-19a, miR-20a and miR-223 were significantly up-regulated (fold change = 2.35, 3.07, 2.38 and 10.35; respectively and p-value = 0.02, 0.015, 0.017 and 0.016; respectively in CRC patients. However, the validation set showed that only miR-223 was significantly up-regulated in CRC patients (fold change = 4.06, p-value = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

Aberrant miRNA expressions are highly involved in the cascade of colorectal carcinogenesis. We have found that (miR-17, miR-19a, miR-20a and miR-223) could be used as diagnostic biomarkers for CRC. On the other hand, miR-19b and miR-18a could be used as diagnostic biomarkers for CP and IBD respectively.

Effect of vitamin D replacement on maternal and neonatal outcomes: a randomised controlled trial in pregnant women with hypovitaminosis D. A protocol

INTRODUCTION

The vitamin D recommended doses during pregnancy differ between societies. The WHO guidelines do not recommend routine prenatal supplementation, but they underscore the fact that women with the lowest levels may benefit most. The effects of routine supplementation during pregnancy on maternal and neonatal clinical outcomes have not been investigated in the Middle East, where hypovitaminosis D is prevalent. Our hypothesis is that in Middle Eastern pregnant women, a vitamin D dose of 3000 IU/day is required to reach a desirable maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level, and to positively impact infant bone mineral content (BMC).

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This is a multicentre blinded randomised controlled trial. Pregnant women presenting to the Obstetrics and Gynaecology clinics will be approached. Eligible women will be randomised to daily equivalent doses of cholecalciferol, 600 IU or 3000 IU, from 15 to 18 weeks gestation until delivery. Maternal 25(OH)D and chemistries will be assessed at study entry, during the third trimester and at delivery. Neonatal anthropometric variables and 25(OH)D level will be measured at birth, and bone and fat mass assessment by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan at 1 month. A sample size of 280 pregnant women is needed to demonstrate a statistically significant difference in the proportion of women reaching a 25(OH)D level ≥ 50 nmol/L at delivery, and a difference in infant BMC of 6 (10)g, for a 90% power and a 2.5% level of significance. The proportions of women achieving a target 25(OH)D level will be compared between the two arms, using χ(2). An independent t test will be used to compare mean infant BMC between the two arms. The primary analysis is an intention-to-treat analysis of unadjusted results.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The protocol has been approved by the Institutional Review Board at the American University of Beirut-Lebanon (IM.GEHF.22). The trial results will be published in peer-reviewed medical journals and presented at scientific conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT02434380.

Comparing Normothermic Machine Perfusion Preservation With Different Perfusates on Porcine Livers From Donors After Circulatory Death

The utilization of normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) may be an effective strategy to resuscitate livers from donation after circulatory death (DCD). There is no consensus regarding the efficacy of different perfusates on graft and bile duct viability. The aim of this study was to compare, in an NMP porcine DCD model, the preservation potential of three different perfusates. Twenty porcine livers with 60 min of warm ischemia were separated into four preservation groups: cold storage (CS), NMP with Steen solution (Steen; XVIVO Perfusion Inc., Denver, CO), Steen plus red blood cells (RBCs), or whole blood (WB). All livers were preserved for 10 h and reperfused to simulate transplantation for 24 h. During preservation, the NMP with Steen group presented the highest hepatocellular injury. At reperfusion, the CS group had the lowest bile production and the worst hepatocellular injury compared with all other groups, followed by NMP with Steen; the Steen plus RBC and WB groups presented the best functional and hepatocellular injury outcomes, with WB livers showing lower aspartate aminotransferase release and a trend toward better results for most parameters. Based on our results, a perfusate that contains an oxygen carrier is most effective in a model of NMP porcine DCD livers compared with Steen solution. Specifically, WB-perfused livers showed a trend toward better outcomes compared with Steen plus RBCs.

The role of NADPH-derived reactive oxygen species production in the pathogenesis of endometriosis: a novel mechanistic approach

Endometriosis is defined as endometriotic tissue growing outside the uterine cavity. It is a common gynecological disorder in women of reproductive age and is associated with chronic pelvic pain and infertility. Despite several studies and theories to explain its cause, the exact pathogenesis of endometriosis remains unclear. Retrograde menstruation is the most plausible theory, however, it is not exclusive. The disparity between the actual prevalence of retrograde menstruation and the prevalence of endometriosis suggests that other factors may determine the susceptibility to endometriosis development. Oxidative stress has been associated with endometriosis. This study aimed to explore the role of NADPH oxidase family in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and to determine whether ROS induce the proliferation of endometriotic implants via mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. Anonymous endometriotic tissue samples were collected from women undergoing laparoscopy for endometriosis. The samples were stained with dihydroethidium and fluorescent images of the slides were taken to detect ROS production. After extraction of RNA from the samples and c-DNA generation, quantitative real-time PCR, protein extraction and Western blot were performed to study gene and protein expression of NADPH oxidase 1 (NOX 1), mTOR and fibronectin. The results showed an increase in ROS levels and NOX 1 gene and protein expression in the endometriotic tissues compared to the normal surrounding tissue control. Also, mTOR and fibronectin, gene expression was found to be increased. Up regulation of NOX at gene and protein level leads to increased production of ROS in the endometriotic tissue, which in turn causes proliferation of the ectopic tissue via alteration of the mTOR signaling pathway. Increased fibronectin gene expression points towards tissue injury in endometriosis as compared to the normal surrounding tissue. This manuscript adds a new insight into the pathogenesis of endometriosis and serves as a background for development of new treatments for the disease-associated pain and infertility.

The cytological diagnosis of a 'benign thyroid lesion': is it a real safe diagnosis for the patient?

OBJECTIVE

In fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), the category of benign thyroid lesions (BTL), which constitutes 65-70% of all thyroid FNAC, and can be correctly diagnosed by morphology alone, is an important entity. A diagnosis of BTL denotes a lesion managed with follow-up unless found in conjunction with compressive symptoms. Although this diagnosis can be quite simple, there are cases in which the scant cellular or colloid component may pose diagnostic issues. Herein, we describe the experiences of evaluating BTL at two large academic institutions. We evaluated the clinical importance of a correct diagnosis of BTL to define the exact inherent risk of a false-negative result (FNR).

METHODS

From January 2008 through to June 2013, 506 (3.6%) out of 15 850 patients with BTL underwent surgery. All nodules were sampled under sonographic guidance (US) and processed either with liquid-based cytology (LBC), Diff-Quik® smears or alcohol-Papanicolaou staining methods.

RESULTS

The histological follow-up of 506 BTL series included 493 benign and 13 malignant lesions. The latter group included four follicular carcinomas (FC), two classic variants of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), one macrofollicular PTC and six follicular variants of PTC (FVPC). The malignancy rate for the BTL category was 2.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

When diagnosed by expert cytopathologists, BTL represents a robust diagnosis and might reduce the number of FNR. Additional diagnostic experience and a large case series could enable cytopathologists to recognise all the morphological entities of BTL. An important additional aid is the extensive sampling of the lesions to reduce issues related to a low cellularity.

A review of the risks and consequences of adolescent pregnancy

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the risks and consequences of young maternal age on both the mother and the newborn.

STUDY DESIGN

A comprehensive literature review on the risks and consequences of adolescent pregnancy was performed.

RESULTS

Young maternal age is associated with an increased risk of maternal anemia, infections, eclampsia and preeclampsia, emergency cesarean delivery, postpartum depression and inadequate breastfeeding initiation. Infants of teenage mothers are more likely to be premature and have a low birth weight, and are at an increased risk for respiratory distress syndrome and autism later in life.

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescent pregnancy is a prevalent phenomenon associated with increased risks of both maternal and neonatal complications during and after pregnancy. Being aware of such adverse outcomes is imperative to improving prenatal and perinatal care. Pregnancy progression can also be influenced by the mother's culture, environment, and economic status; advancement in which may be a possible course for future improvement.

Intrahepatic blood flow redistribution after temporary occlusion of the middle hepatic vein during right lobe liver donation: report of a case

INTRODUCTION

One of the critical factors that influence graft function after live donor liver transplantation is the presence or absence of global or sectorial liver congestion. Many authors advocate for routine middle hepatic vein (MHV) reconstruction because it is often difficult to determine when the MHV or one of its major branches have functional significance. Predictive tests to assess hemodynamic and functional significance of the MHV and its tributaries are still under study.

CASE REPORT

We have described a novel intraoperative manipulation and Doppler ultrasonographic evaluation that led to the decision to include the MHV with the right lobe graft.

Lithium attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced hypothermia in rats

BACKGROUND

Changes in body temperature are common features among patients with sepsis and septic shock. Similarly, systemic administration of bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) to rats leads to an initial hypothermia followed by elevation in body temperature. These changes in body temperature are accompanied by increased levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the hypothalamus.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the effects of lithium and SB216763 - two different glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3 inhibitors - on LPS-induced changes in body temperature and hypothalamic PGE2 levels in endotoxemic rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Endotoxemia was induced by intraperitoneal injection of LPS (10 mg/kg). Lithium (100 mg/kg) and SB216763 (5 mg/kg) were administered at 2 h before LPS. Body temperature and mortality were monitored during 48 h after LPS injection. In another protocol, rats were sacrificed at 2 h post LPS injection and then, blood, liver and hypothalamus were extracted for inflammatory mediators determination.

RESULTS

Lithium but not SB216763 significantly reduced LPS-induced hypothermia, while both compounds did not alter the subsequent elevation in body temperature. Moreover, only lithium significantly reduced hypothalamic PGE2 levels. On the other hand, both compounds significantly reduced plasma, hepatic and hypothalamic tumor necrosis factor-α and decreased plasma PGE2 levels. Both compounds did not alter LPS-induced mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that the attenuation of LPS-induced hypothermia by lithium may derive from its reduction of hypothalamic PGE2 levels.

Combined intestine and kidney transplantation in a patient with encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis: case report

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a rare but devastating complication of peritoneal dialysis characterized by fibrosis and calcification of the intestine that, in severe cases, can progress to intestinal failure and total parenteral nutrition dependency. Medical and surgical interventions carry a poor prognosis in these patients. We describe a case of a 36-year-old female with end-stage kidney disease and severe EPS not amenable to surgical intervention who underwent a combined intestinal and kidney transplantation. At 3 years posttransplantation, the patient has normal intestinal and kidney function. This represents, to our knowledge, the first report of severe EPS and end-stage kidney disease treated with a combined transplant.

Reduced intensity conditioning is effective for hematopoietic SCT in dyskeratosis congenita-related BM failure

BM failure (BMF) is a major and frequent complication of dyskeratosis congenita (DKC). Allogeneic hematopoietic SCT (allo-HSCT) represents the only curative treatment for BMF associated with this condition. Transplant-related morbidity/mortality is common especially after myeloablative conditioning regimens. Herein, we report nine cases of patients with DKC who received an allo-SCT at five different member centers within the Eastern Mediterranean Blood and Marrow Transplantation Registry. Between October 1992 and February 2011, nine DKC patients (male, 7 and female, 2), with a median age at transplantation of 19.1 (4.9-31.1) years, underwent an allo-HSCT from HLA-matched, morphologically normal-related donors (100%). Preparative regimens varied according to different centers, but was reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) in eight patients. Graft source was unstimulated BM in five cases (56%) and G-CSF-mobilized PBSCs in four (44%) cases. The median stem cell dose was 6.79 (2.06-12.4) × 10(6) cells/kg body weight. GVHD prophylaxis consisted of CsA in all nine cases; MTX or mycophenolate mofetil were added in five (56%) and two (22%) cases, respectively. Anti-thymocyte globulin was administered at various doses and scheduled in four (44%) cases. Median time-to-neutrophil engraftment was 21 (17-27) days. In one case, late graft failure was noted at 10.4 months post allo-HSCT. Only one patient developed grade II acute GVHD (11%). Extensive chronic GVHD was reported in one case, whereas limited chronic GVHD occurred in another four cases. At a median follow-up of 61 (0.8-212) months, seven (78%) patients were still alive and transfusion independent. One patient died of metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma and graft failure was the cause of death in another patient. This study suggests that RIC preparative regimens are successful in inducing hematopoietic cell engraftment in patients with BMF from DKC. Owing to the limited sample size, the use of registry data and heterogeneity of preparative as well as GVHD prophylaxis regimens reported in this series, we are unable to recommend a particular regimen to be considered as the standard for patients with this disease.

Abstract P5-01-08: Complex fibroadenoma is not an independent risk marker for breast cancer

Background: Fibroadenoma (FA) is a relatively common benign breast tumor that can occur in women of any age, with a peak incidence during the second and third decades. The only previous study of this lesion reported that FAs are associated with a 2.2 times increased risk of developing invasive breast cancer (BC) compared to matched controls [1]. This relative risk may increase to 3.1 among patients with complex FA, and remains elevated for decades after diagnosis. However, this study did not thoroughly account for other forms of concomitant risk factors. Our investigative team sought to examine breast cancer risk among women with non-complex and complex FA, overall and stratified by other BC risk factors.

Materials and Methods: The study cohort included women between ages 18 to 85 in the Mayo Benign Breast Disease (BBD) Cohort who underwent excisional breast biopsy between 1967and1991 and were found to have a FA. FA was defined histologically as a combination of epithelial and stromal proliferation. Complex FA was defined as FA associated with any of the following features: sclerosing adenosis, epithelial calcifications, papillary apocrine change, and microcysts greater than 3.0 mm. The primary endpoint was a diagnosis of BC, determined using the Mayo medical record and questionnaire information from study participants. A single breast pathologist, blinded to the initial diagnosis and clinical outcome, performed pathology review. Observed vs. expected BC risk across levels of FA was assessed via standardized incidence ratios (SIRs), using age-stratified incidence rates from the Iowa Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry. Analyses were carried out overall and within subgroups of involution status (none, partial, complete) and overall histology (non-proliferative disease [NP], proliferative disease without atypia [PDWA] or atypical hyperplasia [AH]).

Results: Of 9097 women in the Mayo BBD Cohort, FA were identified in 2139- non-complex in 1903 (20.9%) and complex in 236 (2.6%). The greatest proportion of FA occurred in the 40–69 age range. The mean ages for women with non-complex FA and complex FA were 45.7 and 50.2 years respectively. The SIR of breast cancer in the overall BBD cohort was 1.5 (95% CI [1.4–1.6]). The SIR among women with non-complex FA was 1.5 (95% CI [1.3–1.8]), and for complex FA increased to 2.41 (95% CI [1.7–3.4]). However, women with complex FA were more likely to have other concomitant high-risk histologic features such as PDWA and incomplete involution. In stratified analyses accounting for involution status and PDWA, complex FA did not demonstrate an independent increase in BC risk.

Conclusion: Complex FA does not confer an increased risk for BC beyond other established histologic features. Therefore, women with complex FA should be managed based upon a risk level consistent with the major histologic category of PDWA and/or AH.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-01-08.

Ribotyping of Erwinia chrysanthemi Strains in Relation to Their Pathogenic and Geographic Distribution

16S and 23S rRNAs from Escherichia coli were used to study the relationship among a representative collection of strains of Erwinia chrysanthemi differing in their original host and geographical origin. Phenetic analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphisms allowed the distribution of the studied strains into seven clusters. These clusters were similar to those obtained by cladistic methods and appeared to correlate well with the established pathovars and biovars but to a lesser extent with geographical distribution. Except for two groups of strains defined as tropical and temperate isolates (clusters 3 and 4, respectively), our clustering correlated well with botanical classifications of host plants. However, the rRNA groupings were shown to be more discriminative than biovar analysis. To assess the relationship between rRNA clusters and pathogenicity, 12 representative strains from different clusters were tested for pathogenicity on different plants. The two typical symptoms, maceration and wilting, were observed for these strains. The occurrence of the tobacco hypersensitivity reaction for a subset of these strains is discussed in light of recent results concerning the presence of an hrp gene. Considering symptom expression only, rather than the capacity for plant infection, strains from the same cluster were shown to induce similar symptoms in test plants. Thus, since host specificity is still quite controversial, rRNA patterns may constitute a useful tool in taxonomic and epidemiological studies of Erwinia chrysanthemi species.

Utility of glypican-3 and survivin in differentiating hepatocellular carcinoma from benign and preneoplastic hepatic lesions and metastatic carcinomas in liver fine-needle aspiration biopsies

Glypican-3 (GPC-3), a membrane-anchored heparin sulfate proteoglycan, has been shown to be expressed in approximately 80% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but not in benign hepatic lesions. Survivin, a novel inhibitor of apoptosis, and a prognostic marker, has also been expressed in HCC. We evaluated these two immunomarkers (GPC-3 and survivin) in differentiating HCC from benign and preneoplastic hepatic lesions and metastatic carcinomas, comparing them to HepPar-1 (hepatocyte paraffin-1) in liver fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNAB).Immunohistochemistry for GPC-3, survivin and HepPar-1 was performed on 92 FNAB including HCC, hepatic cirrhosis, focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH), hepatic adenoma, dysplastic hepatic nodules and metastatic carcinomas. Immunostaining was scored as positive, if > or =10% of tumor cells stained.GPC-3 is immunoexpressed in 56.8% of HCC, but not in benign and preneoplastic hepatic lesions, or metastatic carcinomas; whereas survivin is expressed in HCC (86.4%), benign hepatic lesions (85.7%), dysplastic hepatic nodules (100%) and metastatic carcinomas (94.3%). HepPar-1 is immunoexpressed in HCC (72.7%), benign hepatic lesions (100%), dysplastic nodules (100%) and metastatic carcinomas (2.9%). The sensitivity and specificity of GPC-3, survivin and HepPar-1 for detection of HCC are 56.8 and 100%, 86.4 and 6.3%, 72.7 and 70.8%, respectively.GPC-3 is a reliable and more specific immunohistochemical marker than survivin for the diagnosis of HCC in FNAB. HepPar-1, although a more sensitive marker than GPC-3, has a lower specificity for detection of HCC. Our data supports the potentially significant diagnostic utility of GPC-3 in FNABs in differentiating primary malignant from benign and preneoplastic liver lesions, and metastatic carcinomas.