Expression of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) in human hepatocellular carcinomas: an immunohistochemical study.

Recent results obtained using molecular biology techniques have suggested a possible role for insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To investigate this phenomenon, a monoclonal antibody was used against IGF-II to study 54 patients with HCC. The presence of HBsAg was also tested both in serum and liver tissue. A positive immunoreaction was found in 9/15 (60%) of the HCC arising in cirrhotic livers of patients who had serum markers for HBV (HBV + positive patients). These results provide further evidence that HBV might play a role in the expression of IGF-II. In HCC of patients without any markers of HBV infection (HBV- negative patients), IGF-II was detected in 10/39 (25.6%) of the tumors, and in some benign neoplastic lesions. It was found not only in neoplastic cells but also in some dysplastic nodules. The speculation arises that IGF-II expression may play a role in some steps of hepato-carcinogenesis.