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| Purpose:To explore the AR and HBx expression in both mRNA levels and protein levels, and to find the relationship among them and clinical characteristics. Compared with the negative controls, we tried to find the role of AR in HBV-associated hepatocarcinogenesis. Methods: Eighty-three cases of surgically resected HBV-associated HCC and 14 cases of the HBV-negative HCC were selected. Meanwhile, 13 peritumoral liver tissues from hemangioma served as benign control. One hundred and eighty-nine liver biopsy samples of chronic hepatitis B and 75 cases whose diagnosis as "No pathological diagnostic abnormal" were also selected. The expressions at mRNA levels were detected by fluorescence quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Western blot and En Vision immunohistochemical stain investigated the protein expressions. Results: In 83 HBV-associated HCC cases, in both peritumoral tissues (P=0.000) and tumors (P=0.000), AR mRNA levels correlated positively with HBx; The expression of AR (P=0.011) and HBx (P=0.000) was significantly higher in peritumoral tissues than in tumors; HBV-associated HCC cases had significantly higher AR mRNA than HBV-negative HCC in both peritumoral tissues (P=0.027) and tumors (P=0.021). The results from western blot analysis and Immunohistochemical stain were consistent with those of mRNA levels.In chronic hepatitis B patients, the expression of AR correlated with the grade of Scheuer scores (P=0.034). Conclusions: To clarified the expression of AR in HBV-associated HCC and chronic hepatitis B cases. AR plays a role in HBV-associated hepatocarcinogenesis. HBx-induce AR expression may be a mechanism of hepatocarcinogenesis. AR had stronger expression in peritumoral tissues than in tumors implied that the expression of AR increases during preneoplastic stages and that progression towards cancer development can suppress maintain AR expression levels. It is therefore proposed that androgen therapy may be ineffective after establishment of tumor. In chronic hepatitis B, AR pathway may be related with inflammation. |
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| Keywords:Pathology, Androgen receptor; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Chronic hepatitis B; x gene |
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