Abstract:Objective:To investigate the correlations of high mobility group protein box-1 (HMGB1) expression with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and microvessel density (MVD) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its clinical significance. Methods:Expressions of HMGB1, VEGF and CD34 were detected with immunohistochemistry in 37 specimens of HCC tissues and the corresponding adjacent tumor tissues, and 10 cases of normal hepatic tissues. The MVD was calculated using CD34 antibody as an endothelial marker. Western blot was performed in 10 HCC tissues and the corresponding adjacent tumor tissues, and 5 normal hepatic tissues. Results:Expression of HMGB1 appeared at a high level compared to adjacent tumor tissues and normal hepatic tissues. HMGB1 expression was significantly correlated with the tumor size and the portal venous invasion. HMGB1 expression was positively correlated with VEGF expression and MVD in HCC（r=0.544, P=0.001；r=0.672，P＜0.05）. Conclusion:Upregulation of HMGB1 and VEGF are involved in the angiogenesis of HCC, and HMGB1 may be a therapeutic target for angiogenesis in HCC.
