Statistical analysis Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software version 18.0. Categorical variables were compared using the χ2 test or Fisher’s exact test. Survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate survival analyses were performed using the log-rank test, and multivariate survival analyses
were performed using Cox’s proportional hazards model. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results VEGFR-2, PDGFR-β, c-MET PF-573228 chemical structure Expression of VEGFR-2, PDGFR-β, and c-MET in the tissues of HCC patients Expression of VEGFR-2, PDGFR- β, and c-MET was identified by immunohistochemical cytoplasmic MK-0457 ic50 staining with different colors varying from faint yellow to dark brown, with a granular or clustered distribution (Figure 1). High expression of VEGFR-2 was observed in 80 of 93 cases (86%), high expression of PDGFR- β was observed in
18 cases (19.4%), and high expression of c-Met was observed in 75 cases ABT-263 solubility dmso (80.6%). Figure 1 Expression of VEGFR-2, PDGFR-β, and c-MET in hepatocellular carcinoma. A Expression of cytoplasmic VEGFR-2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (PV-6000 staining, ×100). B Expression of VEGFR-2 (PV-6000 staining, ×400). C Expression of cytoplasmic PDGFR-β in hepatocellular carcinoma (PV-6000 staining, ×100). D Expression of PDGFR-β (PV-6000 staining, ×400). E Expression of cytoplasmic c-MET in hepatocellular carcinoma (PV-6000 staining, ×100). F Expression of c-MET (PV-6000 staining, × 400). VEGFR-2, PDGFR-β, c-MET Relationships between expression of VEGFR-2, PDGFR-β, and c-Met and clinicopathological factors Expression of VEGFR-2 correlated with gender, HBsAg status, degree of tumor differentiation, and hepatic cirrhosis, but Quisqualic acid did not correlate with age, AFP level, tumor number, tumor size, Child-Pugh class, BCLC stage, ascites, tumor thrombus, or extrahepatic metastasis. High expression
was more frequent in males than females (89.6% vs, 68.8%, P = 0.044), in HBsAg-positive patients than HBsAg-negative patients (89.9% vs. 64.3%, P = 0.024), in well-differentiated tumors than poorly-differentiated tumors (100% vs. 72.7%, P = 0.023), and in patients with cirrhosis than without cirrhosis (93.8% vs, 77.8%, P = 0.026). Expression of PDGFR-β correlated with AFP level, tumor number, and cirrhosis, but did not correlate with gender, age, HBsAg status, tumor size, degree of tumor differentiation, Child-Pugh class, BCLC stage, ascites, tumor thrombus, or extrahepatic metastasis. High expression of PDGFR-β was more frequent in patients with AFP > 400 IU/mL than with AFP ≤ 400 IU/mL (28.3% vs. 10.6%, P = 0.029), in patients with multiple tumors than with single tumors (25.0% vs. 6.9%, P = 0.033), and in patients without cirrhosis than with cirrhosis (28.9% vs. 10.4%, P = 0.023).