Objective: To investigate the expressions of TGF-β1, survivin and caspase-3 in hepatolithiasis-associated intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) tissue and their clinical significance.
Methods: The expressions of TGF-β1, survivin and caspase-3 in intrahepatic bile duct specimens from 52 patients with intrahepatic stones and concomitant ICC (tumor group) and 30 patients with intrahepatic stones and chronic inflammation (inflammation group) as well as 30 specimens of normal intrahepatic bile duct were determined by immunohistochemical staining. The relations of the three factors with the clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of ICC patients were analyzed.
Results: In tumor group, inflammation group and normal group, the positive expression rates TGF-β1 and survivin presented a successively decreasing order, while the positive expression rates of caspase-3 showed a successively increasing order (all P<0.05); in ICC tissue, the expressions of TGF-β1 and survivin showed a positive correlation (r=0.917, P<0.01), and both had a negative correlation with that of caspase-3 (r=–0.890, P<0.01; r=–0.894, P<0.01). the results of univariate and multivariate analyses showed that TGF-β1, survivin and caspase-3 were independent influential factors for the prognosis of patients with hepatolithiasis-associated ICC (all P<0.05); the survival rates of patients with positive TGF-β1 or  survivin expression were significantly reduced compared with respective negative ones (χ2=13.192, P=0.001; χ2=10.536, P=0.002), and the survival rate of patients with positive caspase-3 expression was significantly higher than those with its negative expression (χ2=5.469, P=0.023).
Conclusion: The expressions of TGF-β1, survivin and caspase-3 are abnormal in hepatolithiasis-associated ICC tissue, and they may probably be jointly involved in the occurrence and development of this condition.