Mutational analysis of the p53 and K-ras genes and allelotype study of the Rb-1 gene for investigating the pathogenesis of combined hapatocellular-cholangiocellular carcinomas.

Because combined hepatocellular-cholangiocellular carcinoma is rare and its biological features and pathogenesis have not been well established, we investigated alterations of the p53, K-ras and Rb-1 genes, as well as expression patterns of carcinoembryonic antigen and keratin, in seven combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinomas out of 557 hepatocellular carcinomas autopsied at Tokyo University during 30 years. Mutations of the p53 gene were found in two cases, at codon 244 (GGC to TGC) in the cholangiocellular carcinoma component of case 1 (mixed type, showing an intimate intermingling of both elements) and at codon 234 (TAC to AAC) in both components of case 5 (combined type, consisting of contiguous but independent masses of both elements). Mutation of the K-ras gene (codon 12, GGT to GAT) was seen only in the cholangiocellular carcinoma component of clinically apparent double cancer, case 6. Allelic alteration of the Rb-1 gene was observed in two cases, deletion of both alleles in the hepatocellular carcinoma component of case 3 (combined type) and replication error of the same pattern in both components of case 4 (mixed type). Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the hepatocellular carcinoma components of five cases (cases 2, 3, 5, 6, 7) were immunoreactive for keratin, suggesting biliary epithelial transformation. In four of the five cases (cases 3 and 5 combined, case 7 mixed and case 6 double cancer), cholangiocellular carcinoma components were also positive for keratin. These results suggest that both components of combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma have the same genetic and phenotypic character and might have arisen from the same origin in some cases.