Expression of the CD15 antigen in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Expression of the CD15 antigen, which is one of the adhesion molecules, was studied immunohistochemically to investigate the mechanism of intrahepatic metastasis in 56 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). Twenty-nine percent (16 of 56) of the HCC expressed CD15. No noncancerous hepatocytes expressed CD15. CD15-positive HCC had histologic intrahepatic metastasis more often than did CD15-negative HCC; the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.02). The survival rate of patients with CD15-negative HCC was better than that of patients with CD15-positive HCC, although the difference was not statistically significant. The authors speculate that there is a relationship between the expression of CD15 and intrahepatic metastasis in HCC.