Differential expression of transforming growth factor alpha, adhesions molecules and integrins in primary, metastatic liver tumors and in liver cirrhosis.

Changes in cytokines, intercellular cell-matrix adhesion molecules and integrins may influenced tumor cell invasion and metastases. This study described the distribution, pattern and intensity of cytokine TGFa, adhesion molecules CD 34 and CD 44 and integrins a2, a3, CD 29 (beta 1 chain) and CD 61 (beta 3 chain) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), metastatic liver tumors and hepatic cirrhosis. Fresh snap-frozen tissue from 20 cases of HCC, 5 metastatic adenocarcinomas and 10 cirrhotic livers was studied immunohistochemically using available antibodies. The most intense staining of TGFa was found in metastatic adenocarcinoma, following by regenerating hepatocytes in cirrhotic liver and well differentiated HCC. Insignificant differences in activity of CD 34 in various pathologies, up-regulation of CD 44 in poorly differentiated HCC and down-regulation in metastatic tumors were found. All integrins studied showed down-regulation in poorly differentiated HCC, relatively high activity of a2, a3 and beta 1 in metastatic tumors and the presence of all integrins in cirrhotic liver.