Association of Inflammasome Components in Background Liver with Poor Prognosis After Curatively-resected Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes that evoke key inflammatory cascades. The present study evaluated the influence of inflammasome component expression in non-tumorous tissue on postsurgical hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expressions of candidate genes were investigated using real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction in resected HCC cases. In order to identify potential prognostic factors, statistical analyses were performed for each gene.

RESULTS: The expression of nod-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), nod-like receptor family, CARD domain containing 4 (NLRC4), and absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) was significantly higher in corresponding normal tissue (CN) compared to those in HCC. High expression of NLRP3, NLRC4, and caspase 1 (CASP1) in CN was significantly correlated with worse overall survival. Furthermore, multivariate analysis revealed that NLRP3 expression in CN greater than the median was an independent prognostic factor for poorer overall survival.

CONCLUSION: High expression of NLRP3, NLRC4, and CASP1 in background non-tumorous liver is significantly correlated with poor prognosis of patients after resection of HCC.