Abstract:

Objective  To study the relevance between the level of  peripheral endothelial progenitor cells（EPCs）and  hepatic artery-portal vein shunting（HA-PVS）in primary hepatic carcinoma（PHC）. Methods  The level of EPCs was detected by flow cytometry in 20  healthy controls, 22 chronic hepatitis B, 30 PHC without HA-PVS and 28 PHC with HA-PVS. Results  The proportion of EPCs in the peripheral  lymphocytes was (21.09±2.79), (12.72±3.05), (3.53 ±2.11) and (2.98±2.64)  in PHC with HA-PVS,  PHC without HA-PVS, the chronic hepatitis B and the healthy controls respectively. In the two cancer groups, the proportion of EPCs were significantly higher than that in the chronic hepatitis B group and in the healthy control (P<0.01). Compared with the PHC group without HA-PVS, the proportion of EPCs in the PHC group with HA-PVS was significantly higher (P<0.01). The rates of massive-liver cancer, spontaneous peritonitis and portal thrombosis were higher in the cancer group with HA-PVS, compared that in the cancer group without HA-PVS(P<0.01, P=0.031, P=0.036, P=0.044). Conclusions  The level of EPC in peripheral blood is correlated with the formation of HA-PVS in PHC. Expression of EPC in peripheral blood may reflect the clinical features of PHC on type, metastasis and prognosis.

Key words: Endothelial progenitor cells; Liver neoplasms; Hepatic artery-portal vein shunting;  Flow cytometry