Objective    To explore the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ) and phosphatase and tensin homology deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) protein in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

and to elucidate their clinical significance.     Methods    Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to detect the expression of PPAR-γ and PTEN protein in 78 specimens of HCC tissues and 21 specimens of normal hepatic tissues. The relationship of their expression with the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of HCC was analyzed.     Results    The positive expression rate of PPAR-γ (51.3%) in HCC tissues was significantly higher than that (19.0%) in normal hepatic tissues (P0.05). The high expression rate of PTEN in HCC tissues (42.3%) was significantly lower than that (90.5%) in normal hepatic tissue (P0.05). The PPAR-γ expression was correlated with tumor size and portal vein tumorous thrombus (P0.05) as well as tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (P0.01). The PTEN expression was correlated with tumor size

portal vein tumorous thrombus

and invasion or lymph node metastasis (P0.05) as well as TNM stage (P0.01). No significant correlation was observed between PPAR-γ expression and PTEN expression in HCC tissues (r=-0.100

P=0.384). Patients with low PTEN expression had significantly worse postoperative survival than those with high PTEN expression (P=0.000

Log-rank test). However

PPAR-γ expression was not significantly correlated with the postoperative survival of HCC patients (P=0.175

Log-rank test). A multivariate analysis based on COX regression model demonstrated that TNM stage was an independent factor affecting prognosis of HCC.     Conclusion    The expression levels of PPAR-γ and PTEN protein are closely related to the malignant biological behavior of HCC. PTEN is helpful to evaluate prognosis.