Investigation of cancer stem cell surface markers in tumor tissues of patients who underwent liver transplantation due to hepatocellular cancer and evaluation of the effect of these markers on prognosis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Currently, the most effective treatment options are liver resection with tumor-free surgical margins or liver transplantation in selected cases. However, despite these treatments, HCC recurrence is common. Recent studies suggest that cancer stem cells may be responsible for HCC recurrence. It is predicted that therapies based on targeting HCC stem cell surface markers, which are thought to be responsible for recurrence, may prevent recurrence. In this study, patients who underwent liver transplantation for HCC in our clinic were analyzed. Pathologic preparations of eligible patients were evaluated for the presence of HCC stem cell surface markers CD44, CD47, CD90, CD13 and EpCAM by immunohistochemistry. The relationship between the presence of these markers and disease recurrence and mortality was investigated. Keywords: Hepatocellular cancer, cancer stem cell, immunohistochemistry, target therapy