Objective: To investigate the expression of exportin 5 (XPO5) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue and its relations with clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of the patients. 
Methods: The protein expressions of XPO5 in 92 specimens of HCC and paired adjacent liver tissue were determined by Western blot and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. The relations of XP05 expression level with the clinicopathologic features and prognosis of HCC patients were determined by statistical analyses.
Results: The expression levels of XPO5 protein in HCC tissue was markedly higher than that in adjacent liver tissue. The XPO5 expression was significantly associated with the tumor size, degree of differentiation, clinical stage, distant metastasis and liver cirrhosis of the patients (all P<0.05). The 1- and 5-year disease-free survival rates and 1- and 5-year overall survival rates in patients with high XPO5 expression were significantly lower than those with low XPO5 expression (46.8% vs.78.5%, 20.3% vs. 37.4%; 75.9% vs. 91.2%, 36.1% vs. 58.8%, all P<0.05). High XPO5 expression was an independent risk factor for either disease-free survival and overall survival in HCC patients (P=0.036; P=0.013).
Conclusion: XPO5 expression is increased in HCC tissue, and is associated with the malignant profiles of HCC and unfavorable outcomes of the patients.