Background & objective: Many evidences show that epidermal growth factor receptor variant type III (EGFRvIII) plays an important role in initiation and progression of various cancers. But the relationship between EGFRvIII and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. This study was to explore the expression and significance of EGFRvIII in human HCC tissues.
Methods: Immunohistochemical staining (IHC) was used to detect the expression of EGFRvIII in 55 specimens of HCC tissues and their adjacent non-cancerous liver tissues.
Results: Positive rate of EGFRvIII in HCC tissue was significantly higher than that in adjacent non-cancerous liver tissue [61.8% (34/55) vs. 38.2% (21/55), P < 0.05]. Positive rate of EGFRvIII in HCC tissue was significantly correlated with clinical stage,portal vein tumor thrombus,presence of extrahepatic metastasis, tumor recurrence, and the diameter of tumor, but not correlated with the number of foci, serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, serum HBsAg status, tumor differentiation, and cirrhosis in adjacent liver tissue.
Conclusion: EGFRvIII is over-expressed in human HCC tissues, and relates to progression and recurrence of HCC.