Objective: To study the significance of E-selectin and its ligand-sLeX in the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Methods: Flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of E-selectin and its ligand-sLeX in HCC cell lines and in human HCC tissues.
Results: The positive rate of E-selectin in vascular endothelial cells adjacent to cancer nest in tumors was 67.9% (19/28). In tumors accompanied with emboli or satellite foci, it was significantly higher than that without emboli or satellite foci (P < 0.05). The positive rate of E-selectin was not related to tumor size, tumor capsule, AFP, and the degree of differentiation. The positive expressions of sLeX in SMMU-7721, PLC/PRF/5 and HepGII cell lines were 7.03%, 63.35% and 97.29% respectively. The positive cells of sLeX were mainly distributed in the margin of tumors; the positive expression of sLeX in HCC cells in emboli or invasive tumor tissues was much higher than that in primary foci.
Conclusion: E-selectin and its ligand-sLeX are closely correlated with the metastasis of HCC.