Expression and clinical significance of NET-1 and PCNA in hepatocellular carcinoma

Objective Objective of this study was to detect the expression of neuroepithelial transforming gene-1 (NET-1) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and adjacent tissues, and to investigate the relation of the expression of NET-1 in HCC tissue with cancer proliferation, metastasis and clinic stages. Methods The expression of NET-1 mRNA was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction method in 34 human HCC tissues, and it was matched with 34 paracarcinoma tissues. The expression of PCNA in HCC was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Meanwhile, the relation of the expression with clinic pathological features of HCC was evaluated, and the correlation between the expression of NET-1 and PCNA in HCC was investigated. Results Expression of NET-1 was significantly higher in HCC than that in matched paracarcinoma tissues. The expression of NET-1 was significantly higher in TMN III–IV HCC tissues when compared with TMN I–II HCC tissues (P < 0.05). The expression level of NET-1 in HCC tissues was related to intrahepatic metastasis and portal vein infiltration. The expression of NET-1 in HCC tissues was positively correlated with PCNA. Conclusions The expression of NET-1 may relate to proliferation, metastasis and clinic stages of HCC. The expression of NET-1 in HCC tissues may positively correlate to the TMN stages.