BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors. We analyzed the expression of nuclear-transcription factor-kappa B (NF-κB) during hepatocarcinogenesis in order to evaluate its dynamic expression and its clinical value in the development and diagnosis of HCC.
METHODS: Hepatoma models were induced by oral administration of 2-acetamidoflurene (2-FAA) to male Sprague-Dawley rats. Morphological changes were observed after hematoxylin and eosin staining. The cellular distribution of NF-κB expression during different stages of cancer development was investigated by immunohistochemistry, and the level of NF-κB expression in liver tissues was quantitatively analyzed by ELISA. The gene fragments of hepatic NF-κB were amplified by nested-polymerase chain reaction assay.
RESULTS: Hepatocytes showed vacuole-like degeneration during the early stages, then had a hyperplastic nodal appearance during the middle stages, and finally progressed to tubercles of cancerous nests with high differentiation. The NF-κB-positive material was buff-colored, fine particles localized in the nucleus, and the incidence of NF-κB-positive cells was 81.8% in degeneration, 83.3% in precancerous lesions, and 100% in cancerous tissues. All of these values were higher than those in controls (P<0.01). Hepatic NF-κB expression and hepatic NF-κB-mRNA were also higher during the course of HCC development (P<0.01).
CONCLUSION: The NF-κB signal transduction pathway is activated during the early stages of HCC development, and its abnormal expression may be associated with the occurrence of HCC.