Abstract: Objective To investigate the expression of connexin43 in hilar cholangiocarcinoma and its clinical significance.
MethodsThe expression of connexin43 was detected in 49 specimens of hilar cholangiocarcinoma and adjacent normal tisssues using immunohistochemistry （IHC）. The correlations between connexin43 expression and clinical pathological features，disease free survival（DFS）or overall survival（OS）were analyzed. Results IHC showed that the expression of connexin43 was observed in 28 cases （57.1％） of 49 primary tumors，and it was seldom found in adjacent normal tissues. The expression of connexin43 was significantly associated with TNM staging，histological differentiation and tumor size，but not related to sex，age，lymph node metastasis, surgery and perineural invasion. Univariate analysis demonstrated that patients with positive expression of connexin43 had shorter median DFS and OS than those without connexin43 expression（11.5month vs.21.4month，P＜0.05; 20.7month vs.38.4month，P＜0.05）. Multivariate survival analysis revealed that connexin43 was an independent factor in predicting tumor recurrence and the outcome of patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Conclusion The expression of connexin43 is correlated with the occurrence and progression of hilar cholangiocarcinoma，suggesting the importance of connexin43 as a factor of prognosis.