Table II.

Detection of β-catenin, E- and N-cadherins and the cellular localization of the proteins in chronic hepatitis C (CH-C), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and normal liver (control)

Variable	Group	No. of patients	% of positive samples	M (%)	C (%)	M + C (%)	N (%)
β-catenin	C	8	100	75	25	0	0
	CH-C	54	96	31	44	25	0
	HCC	61	92	60	13	22	5
E-cadherin	C	7	100**	86	0	14	0
	CH-C	41	83*	56	18	26	0
	HCC	60	58	77	14	9	0
N-cadherin	C	8	50$,$$	100	0	0	0
	CH-C	28	7	0	100	0	0
	HCC	59	17	40	0	60	0

M – membranous, C – cytoplasmic, M + C – membranous/cytoplasmic, N – nuclear pattern of IHC reaction;

^*p < 0.05 between E-cadherin expression in CH-C and HCC

^**p < 0.01 between E-cadherin expression in control and HCC;

^$p < 0.05 between N-cadherin expression in control and HCC

^$$p < 0.01 between N-cadherin expression in control and CH-C.