Abstract 2712: Inflammation in the background cirrhotic tissue might accelerate the promotion in the HCC development from HCV-associated cirrhosis

Aim: Hamada et al. succeeded in converting ER-1, a weakly tumorigenic cloned cell line of a rat mammary carcinoma, into a highly tumorigenic and metastatic cell line by interaction with host cell reactive to a foreign body (plastic plates). They attributed these phenomenon to the cytokines such as LL-6 derived from host reactive inflammatory cells crowded around the foreign body. It is possible that the same mechanism is involved in the development of human HCC, and that inflammation in the background cirrhotic tissue might accelerate the process of promotion. Methods: Curative hepatic resection for HCC with LC was performed in 223 patients during the past 8 years in Kanagawa Cancer Center hospital. Of 223 patients 182 patients were anti-HCV-positive or HCV-RNA positive without habitual alcohol intake. Out of 182 patients, 32 patents whose HCC revealed only one small HCC nodule of less than 3 centimeter in diameter were selected for this study. For the evaluation of inflammation in the background LC, modified Knodell's histology activity index (HAI) was used. (for the evaluation of pure inflammation, items of fibrosis was omitted); piece meal necrosis (1-4), intra lobular cellular degeneration and focal necrosis (1-4), portal cellular inflammation (1-4), were estimated by two well experienced pathologist. In each case, the HAI score was estimated in five field and average HAI score was calculated. All the sections of resected HCC tissue was examined pathologically in all patients for determining the grade of malignancy according to Edmondson Steiner's classification; Ed I (well differentiated), Ed II (moderately diff.), Ed III (poorly diff.) Results: The average HAI score in the non-cancerous cirrhotic portion in HCC patients with Ed III was 5.50 ± 0.98 (mean ± SD), and was significantly larger than that in HCC patients without Ed III (4.18 ± 0.70, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the occurence rate of HCC containing Ed III component in the HCC patients whose HAI score was more than 5.0 was as high as 88.9% (16 out of 18), and was highly significant as compared with those in HCC patients whose HAI score was less than 5.0% (3 out of 14, 21.4%, p < 0.005).Conclusions: It is suggested that inflammation in the surrounding non-cancerous cirrhotic tissue would accelerate the process of promotion in the HCC development. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2712. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2712