The critical role of glucose deprivation in epithelial-mesenchymal transition in hepatocellular carcinoma under hypoxia.

ABSTRACT: Imaging with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is used to determine sites of abnormal glucose metabolism to predict high tumor grade, metastasis, and poor patient survival. However, not all tumors with increased 18F-FDG uptake show aggressive tumor biology, as evident from the moderate correlation between metastasis and high FDG uptake. We hypothesized that metastasis is likely attributable to the complexity and heterogeneity of the cancer microenvironment. To identify the cancer microenvironment that induces the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, tumor areas of patients with HCC were analyzed by immunostaining. Our data demonstrated the induction of EMT process in HCC cells with low proliferation under hypoxic conditions.

SUBMITTER: Jo H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6992695 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature