We found that intratumoral IL-17 density was an independent prognostic factor in this HCC cohort (Table 2). Furthermore, the prognostic ability of the combination of intratumoral PF-01367338 molecular weight IL-17RE and IL-17 densities was revalued. Patients were classified

into four groups (Figure 2): I: both low density (n = 108); II: low IL-17RE but high IL-17 density (n = 113); III: high IL-17RE but low IL-17 density (n = 31); and IV: both high density (n = 48). Significant discrepancy in OS (P <0.001) and TTR (P < 0.001) were found (both low vs both high, Table 2 and Figure 2). Table 2 Prognostic factors for survival and recurrence Factor OS TTR   Univeriate Multivariate Univeriate Multivariate   P HR (95% CI) P P HR (95% CI) P AFP(ng/ml) (≤20 v >20) 0.022   NS 0.003 1.482(1.030-2.132) 0.034 Tumor number (single v multiple) <0.001 2.803(1.616-4.864) <0.001 0.011 1.964(1.395-2.766) 0.001 Vascular invasion (yes v no) <0.001 1.571(1.027-2.401) ARS-1620 chemical structure 0.037 <0.001   NS Tumor size(cm) (≤5.0 v >5.0) <0.001 2.552(1.671-3.897) <0.001 <0.001 1.964(1.395-2.766) <0.001 TNM stage (I v

II- III) <0.001 1.891(1.223-2.926) EGFR inhibitor 0.004 0.001 1.564(1.092-2.240) 0.015 Peritumoral density (low v high) IL-17RE <0.001 2.172(1.404-3.361) <0.001 <0.001 1.721(1.222-2.425) 0.002 Intratumoral density (low v high) IL-17RE <0.001   NS <0.001   NS Il-17 0.016   NS <0.001   NS Combination of IL-17RE &IL-17 <0.001 1.569(1.315-1.873) <0.001 <0.001 1.433(1.234-1.663) <0.001 Univeriate analysis: Kaplan-Meier method; multivariate analysis: Cox proportional hazards regression model. Abbreviations: OS, overall survival; TTR, time to recurrence; HR, Hazard Ratio; CI, confidence interval; AFP, alpha fetoprotein; TNM, tumor-node-metastasis;IL-17RE, interleukin-17receptor E; NA, not adopted; NS, not significant. Figure 2 P-type ATPase Prognostic significance of peritumoral IL-17RE, intratumoral IL-17RE and IL-17. High density of peritumoral IL-17RE (a and b), intratumoral IL-17RE (c and

d) and intratumoral IL-17 (g and h) were related to decreased overall survival (OS, a, c and g) and time to recurrence (TTR, b, d and h). Combination of intratumoral IL-17RE and IL-17 was also associated with OS (i) and TTR (j). I: both low density; II: low IL-17RE but high IL-17 density; III: high IL-17RE but low IL-17 density; and IV: both high density. Peritumoral IL-17 (e and f) showed no predictive value for OS (e) and TTR (f). Association of IL-17RE/IL-17 with clinicopathologic variables and univariate and multivariate analyses of the prognostic abilities In this whole study population, the 1-, 3- and 5-year OS and RFS rates were 88.9%, 70.9%, 61.6%, and 78.2%, 55.9% and 38.6%, respectively. As shown in Table 1, none of clinicopathologic variables was found to be associated with expression levels of intratumoral IL-17RE and IL-17. In contrast, peritumoral IL-17RE density had relationship with vascular invasion (P = 0.