Assessment of XAF1 as A Biomarker to Differentiate Hepatocellular Carcinoma from Nonneoplastic Liver Tissues.

OBJECTIVE

XIAP-associated factor 1 (XAF1) expression has been shown to be related with apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the correlation of XAF1 expression with HCC tumor grade has not been intensively assessed. XIAP-associated factor-1 (XAF1) is an important apoptosis inducer in human HCC. The aim of this study is to determine the correlation between XAF1 expression and HCC histopathological grades.

METHODS

The mRNA levels of XAF1 in 24 paired HCC-nonneoplastic specimens were quantified by real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). Protein levels of XAF1 in 110 paired HCC-noncancer tissues were investigated by immunostaining specimens on a tissue microarray (TMA). Correlations between XAF1 mRNA levels or protein expression and clinicopathological features were assessed by statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Both XAF1 mRNA and protein were significantly under-expressed in HCC tissues compared to their non-neoplastic counterparts. No significant relationship was found between XAF1 mRNA or protein expression and histological tumor grade.

CONCLUSION

All these data suggest that XAF1 is a potential biomarker for differentiating HCC with noncancerous tissues.