Expression of caspase-3 and hypoxia inducible factor 1α in hepatocellular carcinoma complicated by hemorrhage and necrosis

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor that occurs in the liver. Its onset is latent, and it shows high heterogeneity and can readily experience intrahepatic metastasis or systemic metastasis, which seriously affects patients’ quality of life. Numerous studies have shown that hypoxia inducible factor1α (HIF-1α) plays a significant role in the occurrence and development of tumors, as it promotes the formation of intratumoral vessels and plays a key role in their metastasis and invasion. Some studies have reported that caspase-3, which is induced by various factors, is involved in the apoptosis of tumor cells. AIM: To investigate the expression of caspase-3 and HIF-1α and their relationship to the prognosis of patients with primary HCC complicated by pathological changes of hemorrhage and necrosis. METHODS: A total of 88 patients with HCC complicated by pathological changes of hemorrhage and necrosis who were treated at our hospital from January 2017 to December 2019 were selected. The expression of caspase-3 and HIF-1α in HCC and paracancerous tissues from these patients was assessed. RESULTS: The positive expression rate of caspase-3 in HCC tissues was 27.27%, which was significantly lower than that in the paracancerous tissues (P < 0.05), while the positive expression rate of HIF-1α was 72.73%, which was significantly higher than that in the paracancerous tissues (P < 0.05). The positive expression rates for caspase-3 in tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage III and lymph node metastasis tissues were 2.78% and 2.50%, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in TNM stage I-II and non-lymph node metastasis tissues (P < 0.05). The positive expression rates of HIF-1α in TNM stage III, lymph node metastasis, and portal vein tumor thrombus tissues were 86.11%, 87.50%, and 88.00%, respectively, and these values were significantly higher than those in TNM stage I-II, non-lymph node metastasis, and portal vein tumor thrombus tissues (P < 0.05). The expression of caspase-3 and HIF-1α in HCC tissues were negatively correlated (r(s) = − 0.426, P < 0.05). The median overall survival time of HCC patients was 18.90 mo (95% CI: 17.20–19.91). The results of the Cox proportional risk regression model analysis showed that TNM stage, portal vein tumor thrombus, lymph node metastasis, caspase-3 expression, and HIF-1α expression were the factors influencing patient prognosis (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The expression of caspase-3 decreases and HIF-1α increases in HCC tissues complicated by pathological changes of hemorrhage and necrosis, and these are related to clinicopathological features and prognosis.