Expression of interleukin-8 and integrin β3 predicts prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy

As important components in the tumor microenvironment, interleukin-8 (IL-8) and integrin beta 3 play a key role in the progression and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to determine the expression of IL-8 and integrin beta 3 and their prognostic value in patients with HCC after hepatectomy. We investigated the expression of IL-8 and integrin beta 3, their clinical significance, as well as their correlation in the cancer tissue of 130 patients with HCC using immunohistochemistry. The prognostic value of IL-8 and integrin beta 3 was investigated through the follow-up of patients with HCC after hepatectomy. In HCC, IL-8 expression had a positive correlation with integrin beta 3 expression. Increased expressions of IL-8 and integrin beta 3 were indicators of tumor progression and poor prognosis in patients with HCC after hepatectomy. IL-8 positive specimens exhibited a higher proportion of macrovascular invasion, larger tumor size, poor differentiation, and advanced tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (P < .05, respectively). Integrin beta 3 positive group exhibited a higher proportion of TNM III-staged tumors (P < .05). The results indicated that macrovascular invasion, advanced TNM stage, and integrin beta 3 expression were independent unfavorable prognostic factors in HCC after hepatectomy. Integrin beta 3 expression was proved to be an independent unfavorable prognostic factor in HCC after hepatectomy. Targeting integrin beta 3 might be a potential therapeutic approach in preventing tumor progression in HCC.