%0 Journal Article
%T Sonic hedgehog expression in steatohepatitic hepatocellular carcinoma and its clinicopathological significance.
%A Kusano H
%A Ogasawara S
%A Omuraya M
%A Okudaira M
%A Mizuochi S
%A Mihara Y
%A Kinjo Y
%A Yano Y
%A Nakayama M
%A Kondo R
%A Naito Y
%A Akiba J
%A Nakashima O
%A Yano H
%J Oncol Lett
%V 28
%N 3
%D 2024 Sep
%M 39091582
%F 3.111
%R 10.3892/ol.2024.14575
%X Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway dysregulation is involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, and the sonic Hh (SHh) protein, a pivotal molecule in the Hh pathway, is expressed in ballooned hepatocytes. The present study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological significance of SHh expression in steatohepatitic hepatocellular carcinoma (SH-HCC). Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were performed to examine SHh gene and SHh protein expression in SH-HCC. Additionally, patients with conventional HCC (C-HCC) were included in the control group. Comparisons of patient and tumor characteristics were also performed. The prevalence of SH-HCC was 3% in the whole cohort, and it was significantly associated with a high prevalence of diabetes mellitus. SHh mRNA was detected in all patients with SH-HCC, but not in 23% of patients with C-HCC. Notably, SHh mRNA expression was not significantly different between patients with SH-HCC and those with C-HCC; however, high SHh protein expression was significantly more frequent in SH-HCC patients than in those with C-HCC. Although the prognosis was not significantly different between the SH-HCC and C-HCC groups, high SHh protein expression was an independent poor prognostic factor for HCC. In conclusion, SHh could potentially serve as a therapeutic target for patients with HCC.