Abstract
Thirty-five nodules of hepatocellular adenomas (HCA) were immunohistochemically classified into four subgroups of HNF1α inactivated HCA (H-HCA) (11 cases, 31%), β-catenin activated HCA (b-HCA) (7 cases, 20%), inflammatory HCA (I-HCA) (10 cases, 29%), and unclassified HCA (u-HCA) (7 cases, 20%). Decreased expression of OATP1B3 protein was shown in most cases of H-HCA, I-HCA, and u-HCA but not in all cases of b-HCA and nuclear beta-catenin positive cases. These results indicated the close association between OATP1B3 immunostain and nuclear beta-catenin accumulation in HCA and suggested a characteristic image on Gd-EOB-MRI for nuclear beta-catenin positive HCA cases as well as a risk of development of hepatocellular carcinoma.
