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Expression of insulin‐like growth factor II (IGF–II) in human hepatocellular carcinomas: An immunohistochemical study
Author(s) -
D'Errico Antonia,
Grigioni Walter F.,
Fiorentino Michelangelo,
Baccarinl Paola,
Lamas Eugene,
Mitri Stella De,
Gozzetti Giuseppe,
Mancini Antonio M.,
Brechot Christian
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
pathology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1827
pISSN - 1320-5463
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1827.1994.tb01697.x
Subject(s) - hepatocellular carcinoma , immunohistochemistry , hbsag , pathology , pathogenesis , insulin like growth factor , carcinogenesis , medicine , growth factor , insulin like growth factor 2 , carcinoma , cancer , hepatitis b virus , immunology , receptor , virus
Recent results obtained using molecular biology techniques have suggested a possible role for insulin‐like growth factor II (IGF‐II) in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To investigate this phenomenon, a monoclonal anti‐body was used against IGF‐II to study 54 patients with HCC. The presence of HBsAg was also tested both in serum and liver tissue. A positive immunoreaction was found in 9/15 (60%) of the HCC arising in cirrhotic livers of patients who had serum markers for HBV (HBV+ positive patients). These results provide further evidence that HBV might play a role in the expression of IGF‐II. In HCC of patients without any markers of HBV infection (HBV‐ negative patients), IGF–II was detected in 10/39 (25.6%) of the tumors, and in some benign neoplastic lesions. It was found not only in neoplastic cells but also in some dysplastic nodules. The speculation arises that IGF–II expression may play a role in some steps of hepato‐carcinogenesis.