Objective: To explore the expression of TPX2 and its significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue and examine the relationship between TPX2 and clinicopathological characteristics of HCC.
Methods: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemical staining were used to compare the expression of TPX2 in tumor and adjacent non-tumoral tissues.
Results: The TPX2 mRNA expression was higher in tumor tissues than that in non-tumoral counterparts (30/50) (P < 0.05). The positive rate of TPX2 protein in tumor tissues was significantly higher than that in non-tumoral counterparts (56.0% vs 16.0%) (P < 0.05). The expression of TPX2 mRNA and protein were correlated with metastasis, recurrence and time of recurrence after curative resection (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: An over-expression of TPX2 may be risk factor of metastasis and recurrence after curative resection so that it is a potential biomarker for early diagnosis and prognosis of HCC.