TABLE 2.
Summary of the clinicopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics of HCCs according to YAP/TAZ and CAIX expression status.
| Parameters a | Total (n = 255 b ) | CAIX + HCCs (n = 126) | CAIX- HCCs (n = 129) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YAP/TAZ+(n = 37) | YAP/TAZ-(n = 218) | p-value c | YAP/TAZ+(n = 29) | YAP/TAZ-(n = 97) | p-value c | YAP/TAZ+(n = 8) | YAP/TAZ-(n = 121) | p-value c | |
| Sex (male/female) | 29 (78.4)/8 (21.6) | 166 (76.1)/52 (23.9) | 0.837 | 21 (72.4)/8 (27.6) | 74 (76.3)/23 (23.7) | 0.806 | 8 (100)/0 (0) | 82 (67.8)/29 (24.0) | 0.197 |
| Age (years) | 56 (30–76) | 59 (29–87) | 0.260 d | 58 (30–76) | 59 (29–83) | 0.645 d | 53 (38–72) | 59 (30–87) | 0.236 d |
| Etiology | 0.694 e | 0.666e | 0.799 e | ||||||
| HBV | 29 (78.4) | 148 (67.9) | 23 (79.3) | 68 (70.1) | 6 (75.0) | 80 (66.1) | |||
| HCV | 2 (5.4) | 23 (10.6) | 1 (3.4) | 8 (8.2) | 1 (12.5) | 15 (12.4) | |||
| HBV + HCV | 0 (0) | 1 (0.5) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.8) | |||
| Alcohol | 2 (5.4) | 10 (4.6) | 1 (3.4) | 2 (2.1) | 1 (12.5) | 8 (6.6) | |||
| NAFLD | 0 (0) | 11 (5.0) | 0 (0) | 8 (8.2) | 0 (0) | 3 (2.5) | |||
| Unknown | 4 (10.8) | 25 (11.5) | 4 (13.8) | 11 (11.3) | 0 (0) | 4 (3.3) | |||
| Serum AFP level (≥400 ng/ml) | 13 (35.1) | 37 (17.0) | 0.024 | 12 (71.4) | 22 (22.7) | 0.095 | 1 (12.5) | 15 (12.4) | 1.000 |
| Preoperative locoregional treatment | 12 (32.4) | 69 (31.7) | 0.849 | 8 (27.6) | 32 (33.0) | 0.819 | 4 (50.0) | 37 (30.6) | 0.264 |
| Tumor size (cm, median, range) | 3.5 (1.5–13.0) | 3.3 (0.9–17.0) | 0.831 d | 3.5 (1.5–13.0) | 4 (0.9–12.5) | 0.662 d | 3.1 (1.8–7.0) | 3.2 (0.9–17.0) | 0.628 d |
| Gross type | 0.210 | 0.194 | 1.000 | ||||||
| Vaguely nodular/expanding nodular | 12 (32.4) | 96 (44.0) | 8 (27.6) | 42 (43.3) | 4 (50.0) | 54 (44.6) | |||
| Multinodular confluent/nodular with perinodular extension/infiltrative | 25 (67.6) | 121 (55.5) | 21 (72.4) | 55 (56.7) | 4 (50.0) | 66 (54.5) | |||
| Multiplicity (present) | 8 (21.6) | 36 (16.5) | 0.481 | 6 (20.7) | 18 (18.6) | 0.791 | 2 (25.0) | 18 (14.9) | 0.609 |
| Edmondson-Steiner grade (III, IV) | 28 (75.7) | 154 (70.6) | 0.694 | 22 (75.9) | 73 (75.3) | 1.000 | 6 (75.0) | 81 (66.9) | 1.000 |
| Vascular invasion | |||||||||
| Major vascular f | 5 (13.5) | 13 (6.0) | 0.154 | 4 (13.8) | 9 (9.3) | 0.494 | 4 (50.0) | 43 (35.5) | 0.461 |
| Microvascular | 23 (62.2) | 84 (38.5) | 0.011 | 19 (65.5) | 41 (42.3) | 0.035 | 1 (12.5) | 4 (3.3) | 0.278 |
| Pathologic T category g (pT3, pT4) | 7 (18.9) | 25 (11.5) | 0.017 | 6 (20.7) | 15 (15.5) | 0.150 | 1 (12.5) | 10 (8.3) | 0.566 |
| Pathologic N category g (N1) (n = 219) | 3 (9.4) | 0 (0) | 0.003 | 2 (8.0) | 0 (0) | 0.056 | 1 (14.3) | 0 (0) | 0.061 |
| Intratumoral fibrous stroma (present) | 6 (16.2) | 14 (6.4) | 0.051 | 8 (27.6) | 20 (20.6) | 0.451 | 3 (37.5) | 28 (23.1) | 0.398 |
| Immunohistochemistry | |||||||||
| CAIX | 29 (78.4) | 97 (44.5) | <0.001 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| K19 | 16 (43.2) | 32 (14.7) | <0.001 | 15 (51.7) | 23 (23.7) | 0.006 | 1 (12.5) | 9 (7.4) | 0.485 |
| EpCAM | 20 (54.1) | 60 (27.5) | 0.002 | 22 (75.9) | 43 (44.3) | 0.003 | 3 (37.5) | 40 (33.1) | 1.000 |
| uPAR | 20 (54.1) | 53 (24.3) | 0.001 | 18 (62.1) | 31 (32.0) | 0.005 | 2 (25.0) | 22 (18.2) | 0.642 |
| Ezrin | 25 (67.6) | 80 (36.7) | 0.001 | 22 (75.9) | 48 (49.5) | 0.018 | 3 (37.5) | 32 (26.4) | 0.682 |
| p53 | 20 (54.1) | 44 (20.2) | <0.001 | 14 (48.3) | 24 (24.7) | 0.021 | 6 (75.0) | 20 (16.5) | 0.001 |
| Smad2/3 | 19 (51.4) | 15 (6.9) | <0.001 | 16 (55.2) | 12 (12.4) | <0.001 | 3 (37.5) | 3 (2.5) | 0.003 |
| Ki-67 labeling index (%) | 9.9 (0–44.1) | 2.3 (0–50.9) | <0.001 d | 10.2 (0.1–44.1) | 3.9 (0–50.9) | 0.064 d | 6.9 (0–19.9) | 1.3 (0–39.4) | 0.094 d |
| Mitotic index (/10 high-power fields) | 12 (0–116) | 5 (0–66) | <0.001 d | 15 (0–70) | 8 (0–63) | 0.074 d | 7 (1–116) | 4 (0–66) | 0.024 d |
| Background liver fibrosis (n = 252) h | 0.160 e | 0.639 e | 0.160 e | ||||||
| F0-F1 | 36 (16.7) | 7 (18.9) | 5 (17.2) | 18 (18.9) | 2 (25.0) | 18 (15.0) | |||
| F2-F3 | 66 (30.7) | 8 (21.6) | 6 (20.7) | 29 (30.5) | 2 (25.0) | 37 (30.8) | |||
| F4 | 113 (52.6) | 22 (59.5) | 18 (62.1) | 48 (50.5) | 4 (50.0) | 65 (54.2) | |||
| Recurrence (%) | 23 (62.2) | 129 (59.2) | 0.715 | 17 (58.6) | 60 (61.9) | 1.000 | 6 (75.0) | 69 (57.0) | 0.468 |
a
Figures are shown in n (%) for frequency data, and median (range) for continuous variables.
b
Only cases with the complete set of immunohistochemical stain data (n = 255) were analyzed.
c
Fisher’s exact test, unless otherwise stated (d, e).
d
Student t-test.
e
Chi-square test.
f
Invasion of major branch of hepatic vein or portal vein.
g
AJCC TNM staging system, 8th Edition.
h
Fibrosis data not available for three cases.