Objective: To study relationship between apoptosis and invasive and metastatic potential of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).
Methods: Apoptotic rate (AR), proliferative index (PI) and S-phase fraction (SPF) were measured by flow cytometry, and p170, p21 and nucleoside diphosphate kinase (ndpk) by strept avidin-biotin complex immunohistochemical technique in 57 patients with HCC.
Results: In this group, AR was 1.77%±0.19%, SPF 12.55%±0.68%, and PI 20.91%±1.12% (r=-0.173). p170, p21 and ndpk positive rates were 61.36%, 68.18%, 52.27% respectively in patients with a mean AR of ≤1.77%, and 23.08%, 38.46%, 84.62% respectively in patients with a mean AR of >1.77% (all P<0.05). In patients with positive tumor invasiveness and metastasis, ndpk (+) was 43.75%, p21 (+) 75.00%, p170 (+) 65.63%, AR 1.12%±0.16%, PI 23.78%±1.48%, and SPF 13.90%±0.99%. In patients with negative invasiveness and metastasis, however, ndpk (+) was 80.00%, p21 (+) 44.00%, p170 (+) 36.00%, AR 2.32%±0.52%, PI 18.53%±0.82% and SPF 11.43%±0.70%.
Conclusion: Apoptosis of HCC is negatively correlated with its invasive and metastatic potential or other factors as proliferative activity, p21, p170 and ndpk.