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Hepatobiliary

Osteopontin Combined with CD44, a Novel Prognostic Biomarker for Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Curative Resection

Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China

Key Words. Osteopontin • CD44 • Tissue microarray • Hepatocellular carcinoma • Prognosis

Correspondence: Jian Zhou, M.D., Ph.D., Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 136 Yi Xue Yuan Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China. Telephone: 86-21-64037181; Fax: 86-21-64037181; e-mail: zhou.jian{at}zs-hospital.sh.cn

Received May 5, 2008; accepted for publication October 15, 2008; first published online in THE ONCOLOGIST Express on November 7, 2008.

Disclosure: The content of this article has been reviewed by independent peer reviewers to ensure that it is balanced, objective, and free from commercial bias. No financial relationships relevant to the content of this article have been disclosed by the authors, planners, independent peer reviewers, or staff managers.

Background. Osteopontin (OPN) plays important roles in tumor progression and metastasis through binding to CD44 and integrin. The goal of this study was to elucidate the prognostic significance of OPN and CD44 in hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

Methods. Tumor tissue microarray was used to detect the expression levels of OPN and CD44 in 302 hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing curative resection between 1997 and 2000 at our institute. Clinicopathologic data for these patients were investigated. The prognostic effects of OPN and CD44 were evaluated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. The Spearman rank test and Fisher's exact test were applied to demonstrate correlations.

Results. Both OPN and CD44 were independent predictors for overall survival and disease-free survival. When OPN and CD44 were taken into consideration together, the predictive range was extended and the sensitivity was improved, especially for those patients with normal serum -fetoprotein levels. The 8-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates in OPN⁺ and/or CD44⁺ patients were 28.2% and 25.6%, respectively, which were significantly lower than those of OPN^–CD44^– patients (52.1% and 51.6%, respectively).

Conclusions. OPN combined with CD44 is a promising independent predictor of tumor recurrence and survival in hepatocellular carcinoma patients.