Relationships among Differentiation Degree, Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound and the Expression of Ephb4/Ephrinb2 in Primary Hepatocarcinoma

Background/Aims: To explore the relationships among differentiation degree, contrast-enhanced ultrasound and the expression of EphB4/EphrinB2 in primary hepatocarcinoma. Methodology: Forty one patients that were diagnosed with hepatocarcinoma by contrast-enhanced ultrasound before operation and then confirmed to have primary hepatocarcinoma by postoperative pathology were enrolled in our study. The expression of EphB4/EphrinB2 in tumor specimens were detected by immunohistochemical assay and compared with the result of contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Results: Differentiation degree was related to EphrinB2 expression and contrast-enhanced ultrasound in primary hepatocarcinoma. EphrinB2 expression was significantly higher in poorly differentiated hepatocarcinoma (88.9%, 16/18) then in moderately and well differentiated hepatocarcinoma (34.8%, 8/23) (chi(2)=12.17, p<0.001). The "fast-in" in arterial phase displayed by contrast-enhanced ultrasound was also significantly higher in poorly differentiated hepatocarcinoma (100%) than in moderately and well differentiated hepatocarcinoma (60.9%, 14/23) (chi(2)=9.02, p=0.003). Conclusions: EphrinB2 is an important indicator of poorly differentiated hepatocarcinoma. There is a good correlation of EphrinB2 expression with vascular perfusion pattern and morphology in arterial phase displayed by contrast-enhanced ultrasound, so contrast-enhanced ultrasound has a certain value in evaluating differentiation degree of primary hepatocarcinoma before operation.