Table 4. Relationship between hepatic expression of GHR/STAT5/IGF-1 signaling pathway and clinico-pathological features of the tumor in cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
| Variable | Hepatic expression of GHR | Hepatic expression of STAT5 | Hepatic expression of IGF-1 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n. | No/low n(%) | High n(%) | p-value | n. | No/low n(%) | High n(%) | p-value | n. | No/low n(%) | High n(%) | p-value | |
| Age (years) | ||||||||||||
| ≤ 60 | 20 | 14(70) | 6(30) | 1 | 20 | 8(40) | 12(60) | 1 | 20 | 12(60) | 8(40) | 1 |
| >60 | 20 | 12(60) | 8(40) | 20 | 6(30) | 14(60) | 20 | 14(70) | 6(30) | |||
| Gender | ||||||||||||
| Male | 22 | 14(63.6) | 8(36.4) | 1 | 36 | 34(94.4) | 2(5.6) | 1 | 34 | 22(64.7) | 12(35.3) | 1 |
| Female | 18 | 12(66.7) | 6(33.3) | 4 | 4(100) | 0(0) | 6 | 4(66.7) | 2(33.3) | |||
| Child-Pugh score | ||||||||||||
| A | 28 | 20(71.4) | 8(28.6) | 0.613 | 28 | 10(35.7) | 18(64.3) | 1 | 28 | 14(50) | 14(50) | 1 |
| B+C | 12 | 6(50) | 6(50) | 12 | 4(33.3) | 8)66.7) | 12 | 6(50) | 6(50) | |||
| MELD score | ||||||||||||
| ≤12 | 20 | 16(80) | 4(20) | 0.350 | 20 | 8(40) | 12(60) | 1 | 20 | 10(50) | 10(50) | 1 |
| >12 | 20 | 10(50) | 10(50) | 20 | 6(30) | 14(70) | 20 | 10(50) | 10(50) | |||
| AFP (ng/ml) | ||||||||||||
| ≤100 | 6 | 2(33.3) | 4(66.7) | 0.048 | 7 | 2(28.6) | 5(71.4) | 0.006 | 20 | 10(50) | 10(50) | 1 |
| >100 | 34 | 26(76.5) | 8(23.5) | 33 | 28(84.8) | 5(15.2) | 20 | 10(50) | 10(50) | |||
| Tumor number | ||||||||||||
| Single | 24 | 18(75) | 6(25) | 0.356 | 24 | 8(33.3) | 16(66.7) | 1 | 24 | 14(58.3) | 10(41.7) | 0.650 |
| Multiple | 16 | 8(50) | 8(50) | 16 | 6(37.5) | 10(62.5) | 16 | 6(37.5) | 10(62.5) | |||
| Tumor size (cm) | ||||||||||||
| ≤5 | 12 | 5(41.7) | 7(58.3) | 0.02 | 20 | 8(40) | 12(60) | 1 | 20 | 10(50) | 10(50) | 1 |
| >5 | 28 | 23(82) | 5(18) | 20 | 6(30) | 14(70) | 20 | 10(50) | 10(50) | |||
| Vascular invasion | ||||||||||||
| No | 12 | 4(33.3) | 8(66.7) | 0.002 | 11 | 5(45.5) | 6(54.5) | 0.009 | 8 | 2(25) | 6(75) | <0.001 |
| Yes | 28 | 24(85.5) | 4(14.5) | 29 | 25(86) | 4(14) | 32 | 30(93.75) | 2(6.25) | |||
| Lymphatic permeation | ||||||||||||
| No | 36 | 24(66.7) | 12(33.3) | 1 | 36 | 12(33.3) | 24(66.7) | 1 | 36 | 18(50) | 18(50) | 1 |
| Yes | 4 | 2(50) | 2(50) | 4 | 2(50) | 2(50) | 4 | 2(50) | 2(50) | |||
| T.N.M stage | ||||||||||||
| I | 9 | 3(33.3) | 6(66.7) | 0.01 | 10 | 4(40) | 6(60) | 0.007 | 24 | 14(58.3) | 10(41.7) | 0.650 |
| II-IV | 31 | 25(80.6) | 6(19.4) | 30 | 26(86.7) | 4(13.3) | 16 | 6(37.5) | 10(62.5) | |||
| Okuda stage | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 22 | 14(63.6) | 8(36.4) | 1 | 22 | 10(45.5) | 12(54.5) | 0.374 | 22 | 12(54.5) | 10(45.5) | 1 |
| 2+3 | 18 | 12(66.7) | 6(33.3) | 18 | 4(22.2) | 14(77.8) | 18 | 8(44.4) | 10(55.6) | |||
Number of patients = 40
n.: number; GHR: growth hormone receptor; STAT5: signal transducer and activator of transcription 5; IGF-1: insulin like growth factor-1; MELD: model of end stage liver disease; AFP: alpha-fetoprotein; TNM: Tumor-Node-Metastasis. Data are expressed as proportions and percentages, and compared using Chi-square statistic or Fisher’s exact test
Bold values denote significant results