Objective:The aim of the study was to investigate the expression of Smac protein in human hepatocarcinoma and their relationship with cell apoptosis and proliferation.Methods:The expressions of Smac and the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in 41 cancer tissues,41 adjacent cirrhosis tissues and 9 normal control tissues in hemangioma were assessed by two-step immunohistochemical method and apoptosis was detected by TUNEL method.Results:Smac protein was expressed in 14 (34.14%) of the 41 cases of hepatocarcinoma,in 23 (56.10%) of the 41 cases of the adjacent cirrhosis tissues,and in 7 (77.8%) of the normal tissues in hemangioma.Smac protein positive expression rate in hepatocarcinoma was significantly lower than that in the adjacent cirrhosis tissues and the normal control tissues,χ2 were 3.989 and 4.115,respectively,and P were 0.046 and 0.042,respectively.Smac protein expression in cancer was significantly correlated with the ratio of apoptotic index to proliferative index,t'=2.260,P0.05.Conclusion:The relatively lower level of the expression of Smac may in a certain extent break the dynamic balance between apoptosis and proliferation of hepatocarcinoma cells,and then plays an important role in the pathogenesis of hepatocarcinoma.
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