Table 4.
Relation between liver fatty acid-binding protein expression and pathological features n (%)
| Characteristics |
Tumor size ≤ 2 cm |
P value |
Tumor size > 2 cm |
P value |
Total |
P value | |||
| L-FABP negative n = 11 | L-FABP positive n = 74 | L-FABP negative n = 5 | L-FABP positive n = 56 | L-FABP negative n = 16 | L-FABP positive n = 130 | ||||
| Tumor size (mm) | 16.0 ± 2.1 | 15.8 ± 3.3 | 0.566 | 45.4 ± 29.5 | 43.3 ± 33.6 | 0.931 | 25.2 ± 20.8 | 27.6 ± 26.0 | 0.652 |
| Differentiation | 0.032a | 0.766 | 0.110 | ||||||
| Well | 0 (0.0) | 26 (35.1) | 0 (0.0) | 7 (12.5) | 0 (0.0) | 33 (25.4) | |||
| Moderate | 10 (90.9) | 43 (58.1) | 4 (80.0) | 36 (64.3) | 14 (87.5) | 79 (60.8) | |||
| Poor | 1 (9.1) | 5 (6.8) | 1 (20.0) | 13 (23.2) | 2 (12.5) | 18 (13.8) | |||
| Pseudoglandular pattern | 0.478 | 0.218 | 0.461 | ||||||
| Absent | 8 (72.7) | 49 (66.2) | 2 (40.0) | 38 (67.9) | 10 (62.5) | 87 (66.9) | |||
| Present | 3 (27.3) | 25 (33.8) | 3 (60.0) | 18 (32.1) | 6 (37.5) | 43 (33.1) | |||
| Nuclear grade | 0.299 | 0.641 | 0.424 | ||||||
| Low | 8 (72.7) | 62 (83.8) | 4 (80.0) | 42 (75.0) | 12 (75.0) | 104 (80.0) | |||
| High | 3 (27.3) | 12 (16.2) | 1 (20.0) | 14 (25.0) | 4 (25.0) | 26 (20.0) | |||
| Fatty change | 0.659 | 0.436 | 0.458 | ||||||
| Absent | 9 (81.8) | 60 (81.1) | 5 (100.0) | 47 (83.9) | 14 (87.5) | 107 (82.3) | |||
| Present | 2 (18.2) | 14 (18.9) | 0 (0.0) | 9 (16.1) | 2 (12.5) | 23 (17.7) | |||
| Inflammation | 0.009b | 0.660 | 0.039a | ||||||
| Absent | 9 (81.8) | 29 (39.2) | 3 (60.0) | 34 (60.7) | 12 (75.0) | 63 (48.5) | |||
| Present | 2 (18.2) | 45 (60.8) | 2 (40.0) | 22 (39.3) | 4 (25.0) | 67 (51.5) | |||
| Fibrosis | 0.160 | 0.466 | 0.105 | ||||||
| Absent | 10 (90.9) | 53 (71.6) | 4 (80.0) | 37 (66.1) | 14 (87.5) | 90 (69.2) | |||
| Present | 1 (9.1) | 21 (28.4) | 1 (20.0) | 19 (33.9) | 2 (12.5) | 40 (30.8) | |||
| Cholestasis | 0.224 | 0.369 | 0.120 | ||||||
| Absent | 9 (81.8) | 48 (64.9) | 4 (80.0) | 34 (60.7) | 13 (81.3) | 82 (63.1) | |||
| Present | 2 (18.2) | 26 (35.1) | 1 (20.0) | 22 (39.3) | 3 (18.7) | 48 (36.9) | |||
| Tumor stage | 0.833 | 0.789 | 0.646 | ||||||
| 1 | 8 (72.7) | 56 (75.7) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.8) | 8 (50.0) | 57 (43.8) | |||
| 2 | 3 (27.3) | 18 (24.3) | 3 (60.0) | 37 (66.1) | 6 (37.5) | 55 (42.3) | |||
| 3 | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (40.0) | 14 (25.0) | 2 (12.5) | 14 (10.8) | |||
| 4 | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (7.1) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (3.1) | |||
| Background liver tissue | 0.649 | 0.394 | 0.301 | ||||||
| Normal | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (7.7) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (3.2) | |||
| CH | 3 (27.3) | 25 (34.2) | 2 (40.0) | 26 (50.0) | 5 (31.3) | 51 (40.8) | |||
| LC | 8 (72.7) | 48 (65.8) | 3 (60.0) | 22 (42.3) | 11 (68.7) | 70 (56.0) | |||
a
P < 0.05, L-FABP-negative small HCCs vs L-FABP-positive small HCCs;
b
P < 0.01, L-FABP-negative cases vs in L-FABP-positive cases. Background liver tissue could not be evaluated in five cases. L-FABP: Liver fatty acid-binding protein; CH: Chronic hepatitis; LC: Liver cirrhosis.