Low expression of plakoglobin in intratumoral liver tissue is associated with poor survival after curative resection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract Background: Plakoglobin also known as γ-catenin, is a member of the Armadillo family. It’s a structural and functional homologue of protein β-catenin with dual functions in cell-cell adhesion and cell signaling. However, the role of plakoglobin in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear to date. Our aim was to investigate the expression of plakoglobin in HCC and its correlation with prognosis and then to further study the underlying function. Methods: Western Blot and qRT-PCR were used to examine the expression of plakoglobin in HCC cell lines and normal hepatocyte cell line. Immunohistochemical method was used to analyze the expression and relationship of plakoglobin in tissue microarray with 191 HCC patients through Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: Patients with high expression of plakoglobin had a better survival compared with those with low expression (OS, P=0.002; DFS, P=0.012). Plakoglobin is an independent prognostic factor for patients (OS, P=0.026, DFS, P=0.045). Plakoglobin was inversely consistent with the metastatic potential ability of HCC cell lines. Conclusions: Our founding indicates plakoglobin is an independent prognostic marker of HCC, and patients with low expression of that had a poor survival. Plakoglobin may serve as a potential target for anti-HCC.