MCM4 Protein Expression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tissue and Its Relationship with Clinical Pathological Characteristics

WANG Chao; WANG Yanling; LI Li

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1004-437X.2025.01.004

Abstract：Objective To explore the relationship between microchromosome maintenance protein 4(MCM4)expression and clinicopathological features in hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods A total of 102 hepatocellular carcinoma patients who underwent surgical resection in Zhengzhou Yihe Hospital Affiliated to Henan University from January 2021 to February 2022 were selected as the research subjects.Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect the expression of MCM4 protein in cancer tissue and normal tissue at the cutting edge,and the positive expression rate of MCM4 protein in cancer tissue and normal tissue at the cutting edge was compared.The positive expression rate of MCM4 protein in cancer tissues of patients with different clinical and pathological characteristics were compared.The relationship between MCM4 protein expression and survival in cancer tissues was analyzed after one year follow-up.Survival analysis was conducted using the Kaplan-Meier method and conduct significance testing through log-rank.Results The positive expression rate of MCM4 protein in hepatocellular carcinoma tissue was higher than that in normal tissue at the cutting edge(P＜0.05).The positive expression rate of MCM4 protein in cancer tissue of patients with hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg)positive,tumor node metastasis(TNM)stage Ⅲ a,low/undifferentiated,tumor maximum diameter≥5 cm,alpha fetoprotein(AFP)≥400 μg·L-1,microvascular invasion and liver cirrhosis was higher than HBsAg negative,TNM stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ,high/medium differentiation,maximum tumor diameter＜5 cm,AFP＜400 μg·L-1,no microvascular invasion and no cirrhosis patients,respectively,and there were statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).Following up for one year,the survival rate of patients was 78.79％,with HBsAg positive,TNM stage Ⅲ a,low/undifferentiated,AFP ≥400 μg·L1,cirrhosis,and positive expression of MCM4 protein were all risk factors for death in liver cancer patients(HR=4.026,5.767,6.430,6.874,4.496,7.588,P＜0.05).The one year survival rate of patients with positive expression of MCM4 protein in cancer tissue was lower than that of patients with negative expression(P＜0.05).Conclusion The positive expression rate of MCM4 protein in hepatocellular carcinoma tissue is higher than that in normal tissue at the cutting edge,and the expression of MCM4 protein in cancer tissue is related to HBsAg,TNM staging,differentiation degree,tumor size,AFP level,microvascular invasion,and cirrhosis.Moreover,the positive expression of MCM4 protein in cancer tissue can reduce the survival rate of patients.