To investigate the correlation between human hepatocellular carcinoma associated fibroblast (hCAF) and angiogenesis in the human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues.

Twenty patients who underwent radical hepatectomy in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between January 2014 and May 2014 were enrolled in this prospective study. Among them, 16 were males and 4 females, aged 35-58 years old with a median age of 42 years old. The informed consents of all patients were obtained and the local ethical committee approval was received. Clinical and pathological data of the patients were collected. The hCAF density and microvascular density (MVD) in the HCC tissues were detected by immunohistological staining. The distribution of hCAF and vascular endothelial cells in the HCC tissues was observed. The correlation between hCAF density, MVD and clinicopathological parameters of the patients was analyzed by one-way analysis of variance and LSD-t test or t test. The correlation between hCAF density and MVD was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis.

The hCAF in the HCC tissues were mainly distributed around the sinusoid of the tumors, and the vascular endothelial cells were distributed in the sinusoid of the tumors and inner walls of great vessels. The hCAF in the paracarcinoma tissues were mainly distributed in the Disse space of liver sinusoid. The hCAF density in the poorly-differentiated HCC tissues was (121±14)/mm², significantly higher than (63±9) and (82±11)/mm² in the highly- and moderately-differentiated HCC tissues (LSD-t=11.00, 6.90; P<0.05). When the paracarcinoma tissues progressed into liver cirrhosis, the hCAF density in the HCC tissues was (120±14)/mm², significantly higher than (78±9)/mm² when the paracarcinoma tissues progressed into the chronic hepatitis (t=8.00, P<0.05). The MVD in the HCC tissues with tumor diameter >5 cm was (83±9)/mm², significantly higher than (32±4)/mm² in the HCC tissues with tumor diameter≤5 cm (t=16.40, P<0.05). The MVD in the poorly-differentiated HCC tissues was (61±7)/mm², significantly higher than (39±4) and (40±4)/mm² in the highly- and moderately-differentiated HCC tissues (LSD-t=8.60, 8.20; P<0.05). When the paracarcinoma tissues progressed into liver cirrhosis, the MVD was (63±7)/mm², significantly higher than (36±4)/mm² when the paracarcinoma tissues progressed into the chronic hepatitis (t=10.60, P<0.05). The MVD was positively correlated with the hCAF density in the HCC tissues (r=0.92, P<0.05).

The hCAF is highly expressed in the HCC tissues and correlated with angiogenesis of HCC. They may probably participate in the incidence and progression of HCC.