Overexpression of CD147 is associated with poor prognosis, tumor cell migration and ERK signaling pathway activation in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. The aim of the present study was to reveal the prognostic significance of CD147 and to preliminarily explore the moleCular mechanisms involved. Blood and tumor tissue specimens were obtained from 133 HCC patients. All patients were followed up for 4 years. The serum and tissue levels of CD147 were analyzed using ELISA and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The SMMC-7721 hepatoma carcinoma cell line was transfected with CD147 overexpression vector and cell migration was evaluated using a wound healing assay. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitor U0126 was applied to study the role of the ERK pathway in cell migration. CD147 expression in HCC tissue was associated with poor prognosis of patients [odds ratio (OR): 3.13, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.52-6.43], and patients with no CD147 expression had a significantly survival advantage (P=0.016). However, serum CD147 levels had no such prognostic significance (OR: 1.94, 95% CI: 0.96-3.91; P=0.097). In the Wound healing assay, the wound distance in the non-transfected cell group was wider than that in the transfected cell group without U0126 treatment (178.0 +/- 31.1 vs. 106.0 +/- 20.7 mu m; P=0.003), but similar to that in the transfected cell group with 10 mu M U0126 treatment (170.4 +/- 13.2 mu m; P=0.629). The present study revealed that the expression of CD147 in HCC tissue is an independent prognostic indicator. In addition CD147 overexpression may be associated with tumor cell migration and ERK signaling pathway activation.