The clinical pathological significance of ILK and FABP4 protein expression in EHCC.

This study investigates the clinical and pathological significance of integrin-linked kinase (ILK) and fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) expression in EHCC. We utilized EnVision immunohistochemistry technology to assess the expression levels of ILK and FABP4 in 100 cases of patients with EHCC. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 26.0 (Chicago). The proteins ILK and FABP4 exhibited elevated expression levels in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (EHCC) tumors when compared to peritumoral tissues, adenomas, and normal biliary tract tissues, with statistical significance noted (P <.05 or P <.01). A significant positive correlation was identified between the expressions of ILK and FABP4 in EHCC (P <.01). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that EHCC patients with positive expression of ILK and/or FABP4 had significantly reduced survival times in comparison to those with negative expression (P = .000). Additionally, Cox multivariate analysis indicated that positive expressions of ILK and/or FABP4 serve as independent prognostic factors associated with poor outcomes in EHCC patients. The area under the curve for ILK was calculated to be 0.687 (95% CI: 0.600-0.773), while for FABP4, it was 0.638 (95% CI: 0.548-0.728). The current research demonstrates that the positive expression of ILK and FABP4 is significantly linked to the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, pathological characteristics, biological behaviors, and unfavorable prognosis in EHCC.