To explore the expression and clinical value of fibulin-1 protein in the serum and tissues of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Forty HCC patients [36 males and 4 females; mean age of (48±14) years old] were enrolled in this prospective study. All the patients were diagnosed with HCC pathologically and received liver resection (HCC group) in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from May 2009 to May 2010. The informed consents of all patients were obtained and the ethical committee approval was received. Forty-eight healthy people received physical examinations in this hospital at the same period were enrolled as the control group. The serum specimens of HCC patients were collected before operation and the samples in the control group were collected during the physical examinations. The serum level of fibulin-1 was tested by enzyme-linked immune absorbent assay. The relative protein content of fibulin-1 in the HCC and para-carcinoma tissues of 8 patients with HCC were collected and tested using Western blot. The differences of expressive level of fibulin-1 protein and the relative content of fibulin-1 protein in HCC tissues and para-carcinoma tissues between 2 groups were compared using t test.

The serum expressive level of fibulin-1 in HCC group [ (44±8) mg/L] was significantly higher than that in the control group[(30±9) mg/L] (t=-7.02, P<0.05) . The relative protein content of fibulin-1 in HCC tissues and the para-carcinoma tissues were 0.65±0.25, 0.24±0.06 respectively. Significant difference was observed(t=-2.70, P<0.05). The serum expressive level of fibulin-1 was related with tumor vascular invasion and the tumor, lymphatic, metastasis(TNM) staging (t=-6.12, -3.50; P<0.05), but not related with the alpha-fetalprotein (AFP) level, tumor size and numbers (t=-0.48, 1.34, -1.29; P>0.05).

The fibulin-1 expressive level in the serum of HCC patients rises, the protein content of fibulin-1 in the HCC tissues rises as well, compared with that in the para-carcinoma tissues. The serum expressive level of fibulin-1 is associated with the vascular invasion and TNM staging. Fibulin-1 protein may be involved in the occurrence and development of HCC.