expression of irx2 in primary hepatocellular carcinoma

Objective 　To investigate the expression and clinical significance of Iroquois homeobox gene (IRX2) in human primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods 　The specimens of HCC tissue and peritumoral tissue were collected surgically from patients with HCC. Quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to characterize the expression of IRX2 in specimens of HCC tissues and peritumoral tissues. The expression and location of IRX2 protein in HCC tissues and peritumoral tissues were detected by immunohistochemisty. The difference in the expression of IRX2 protein and mRNA were analyzed. The relationship between the expression of IRX2 protein in the well, moderate, poor-differentiated HCC groups and the pathological stage of HCC were determined. Results 　The expression of IRX2 mRNA in 80% (16/20) HCC tissues was lower than that in the peritumoral tissues (P=0.04); the relative expression of IRX2 protein in HCC tissues (0.866) was lower than that in the peritumoral tissues (1.803, P=0.009). With the reducing of HCC differentiation stage, the expression of IRX2 protein decreased, with significant difference (P=0.001). Further research indicated that the differences in the expression of IRX2 protein was statistically significant between poor and well differentiated HCC tissue, and between poor and moderate differentiated HCC tissue (P=0.006, P=0.001), but no significant difference existed between moderate and well differentiated HCC tissue (P=0.539). Conclusion 　The expression of IRX2 in primary HCC tissue is lower than that in the peritumoral tissue, and the abnormal expression of IRX2 may be related to the differentiation of HCC.