Table 1 Relationship between heparanase (HPSE), upstream stimulatory factor (USF) expression and tumor characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

Gender

 Male

44

31

13

0.789

25

19

0.850

27

17

0.991

 Female

13

8

5

7

6

8

5

Age (years)

 < 55

39

28

11

0.850

22

17

0.952

26

13

0.230

 ≥ 55

18

11

7

10

8

9

9

Tumor diameter (cm)

 < 5

18

11

7

0.419

7

11

0.672

8/1

10

0.520

 ≥ 5

39

28

11

18

21

21

18

AFP (μg/l)

 < 400

21

25

11

0.709

13

8

0.503

12

9

0.614

 ≥ 400

36

14

7

19

17

23

13

HBsAg

 Positive

41

30

11

0.217

20

21

0.073

24

17

0.477

 Negative

16

9

7

12

4

11

5

Cirrhosis

 Yes

21

13

8

0.419

16

5

0.020

17

4

0.021

 No

36

26

10

16

20

18

18

Histological differentiation

 Well + moderate

38

22

16

0.016

17

21

0.014

19

19

0.012

 Poor

19

17

2

15

4

16

3

TNM staging

 I + II

31

17

14

0.016

12

19

0.004

15

16

0.028

 III + IV

26

22

4

20

6

20

6

Tendency to MR

 High

35

29

6

0.003

24

11

0.017

26

9

0.012

 Low

22

10

12

8

14

9

13

Postoperative MR

 Yes

21

18

3

0.032

14

7

0.035

16

5

0.002

 No

30

21

15

12

18

6

24

HPSE expression

 Positive

39

27

12

0.003

28

11

0.018

 Negative

18

5

13

7

11