Background & objective: Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) could indicate cell proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), while the impact of preoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) on cell proliferation of HCC is still uncertain. This study was to investigate the expression and prognostic value of PCNA in HCC patients underwent preoperative TACE.
Methods: The expression of PCNA in 91 specimens of HCC with preoperative TACE (TACE group) and 50 specimens of HCC without preoperative TACE (non-TACE group) was detected by immunohistochemistry. The expression of PCNA between the 2 groups after stratification were compared. Correlation of PCNA expression to tumor recurrence was analyzed.
Results: PCNA was expressed in cell nuclei. The positive rates of PCNA were 67.0% in TACE group and 66.0% in non-TACE group (P>0.05). In patients with disseminated nodules, portal vein invasion and poorly differentiated tumor, the positive rates of PCNA were significantly lower in TACE group than in non-TACE group, respectively. In patients who underwent curative resection after preoperative TACE, the positive rates of PCNA were significantly higher in recurrence group than in non-recurrence group (77.8% vs. 47.1%, P<0.05). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year disease-free survival rates were significantly higher in PCNA-negative group than in PCNA-positive group (83.2% vs. 55.8%, 62.1% vs. 31.8%, and 53.2% vs. 23.6%, P<0.01).
Conclusions: Preoperative TACE inhibit cell proliferation of the HCC with disseminated nodules, portal vein invasion or poor differentiation. The expression of PCNA is closely correlated to postoperative recurrence of HCC patients who underwent preoperative TACE.