Table 2 Association of relative angiopoietin-1 (ANG1) expression at the tumor-infiltrating front (TIF) or central area (TCA) with clinicopathological characteristics of the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as determined by the chi-squared (χ²) test

No. of patients

9

49

  Patient age, years

0.342

    ≤ 60

2 (22.7%)

19 (38.8%)

    > 60

7 (77.8%)

30 (61.2%)

  Gender

0.079

    Female

9 (100.0%)

36 (73.5%)

    Male

0 (00.0%)

13 (26.5%)

  Multiple tumor nodules

0.376

    Positive

1 (1.1%)

12 (24.5%)

    Negative

8 (88.9%)

37 (75.5%)

  Tumor size, mm

0.114

    ≤ 50

0 (00.0%)

11 (22.4%)

    > 50

9 (100.0%)

38 (77.6%)

  Angioinvasion

0.634

    Positive

4 (44.4%)

26 (53.1%)

    Negative

5 (55.6%)

23 (46.9%)

  Histologic differentiation

0.786

    Well

2 (22.2%)

9 (18.4%)

    Moderate/poor

7 (77.8%)

40 (81.6%)

  Pathologic T stage

0.079

    T1/T2

7 (77.8%)

22 (45.8%)

    T3/T4

2 (22.2%)

27 (54.2%)

  Pathologic N stage

0.537

    Positive

0 (00.0%)

2 (4.1%)

    Negative

9 (100.0%)

47(95.9%)

  TEMs in TIF

0.132

    Positive

8 (88.9%)

31 (63.3%)

    Negative

1 (11.1%)

18 (36.7%)

  R status

0.691

    Positive

1 (11.1%)

8 (16.3%)

    Negative

8 (88.9%)

41 (83.7%)

  Local tumor recurrence

0.007

    Positive

6 (66.7%)

11 (22.4%)

    Negative

3 (33.3%)

38 (77.6%)

  Overall tumor recurrence

0.072

    Positive

6 (66.7%)

17 (34.7%)

    Negative

3 (33.3%)

32 (65.3%)

  Metastases

0.513

    Positive

1 (1.1%)

10 (20.4%)

    Negative

8 (88.9%)

39 (79.6%)

Variable

ANG1 high/TCA

ANG1 low/TCA

p

  No. of patients

12

46

  TEMs in TCA

0.111

    Positive

5 (41.7%)

9 (19.6%)

    Negative

7 (58.3%)

37 (80.4%)

  TEMs in TIF

0.182

    Positive

10 (83.3%)

29 (63.0%)

    Negative

2 (16.7%)

17 (36.0%)

  Angioinvasion

0.245

    Positive

8 (66.7%)

22 (47.8%)

    Negative

4 (33.3%)

24 (52.2%)

  Metastases

0.024

    Positive

5 (41.7%)

6 (13.0%)

    Negative

7 (58.3%)

40 (87.0%)