Combined use of heat-shock protein 70 and glutamine synthetase is useful in the distinction of typical hepatocellular adenoma from atypical hepatocellular neoplasms and well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma

Well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma can mimic high-grade dysplastic nodule in cirrhotic liver and hepatocellular adenoma in non-cirrhotic liver. This study evaluates the efficacy of combined use of heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70), glutamine synthetase (GS) and glypican-3 in this setting. Immunohistochemistry for these three markers was done in 17 typical hepatocellular adenoma, 15 high-grade dysplastic nodules, 20 atypical hepatocellular neoplasms (14 clinically atypical and 6 pathologically atypical), 14 very well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma, and 43 well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma. All three markers were negative in typical adenomas. HSP70 was positive in 10, 71, and 67% of atypical neoplasms, very well-differentiated and well-differentiated HCC, respectively, while GS was positive in 60, 50, and 60% of atypical neoplasms, very well-differentiated and well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma, respectively. Glypican-3 was negative in all atypical neoplasms and very well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma, and was positive in 27% of well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma. Positive staining with at least one marker (HSP70 and/or GS) was seen in 85% of very well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma, which was similar to well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (78%, P= 0.4), and pathologically atypical cases (100%, P= 0.5), but significantly higher compared with clinically atypical cases (43%. P= 0.03) and none of typical adenomas (P< 0.001). Positive staining with both GS and HSP70 was seen significantly more often in hepatocellular carcinoma compared with atypical neoplasms (45 vs 10%, P=0.004). Both these markers were also more often expressed in very well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma compared with atypical cases (38 vs 10%, P= 0.06). In conclusion, the combined use of GS and HSP70 can be useful in the diagnosis of very well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma. These stains can also help in the distinction of typical adenoma from atypical hepatocellular neoplasms. Glypican-3 has low sensitivity and is not useful in this setting.