摘要AIM: To study the expression profiles of HBsAg, HBcAg,p21WAF1/CIP1 (p21), Rb genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to investigate their roles in the hepatocarcinogenesis.METHODS: HCC tissue microarray containing 120-min tissues of 40 HCC cases was constructed. HBsAg, HBc Ag,p21 and Rb proteins were immunohistochemically stained by streptavidin-peroxidase conjugated method (S-P). The expression loss of these genes in cancerous, paracancerous tissues and adjacent normal liver tissues of 40HCCs were comparatively examined.RESULTS: The positive rate of HBsAg expression in cancerous tissues of 40 HCCs was 7.5%, which was lower than that in para-cancerous and adjacent normal liver tissues (x2 =12.774, P＜0.01; x2= 18.442, P＜0.01). The positive rate of HBcAg expression in cancerous tissues of 40 HCCs was 20.0%, which was also lower than that in para-cancerous and adjacent normal liver tissues(x2= 9.482, P＜0.01; x2= 14.645, P＜0.01). p21 protein deletion rate in cancerous tissues of 40 HCCs was 27.5%,which was higher than that in para-cancerous and adjacent normal liver tissues (x2 = 7.439, P＜0.01; x2 = 11.174,P＜0.01). p21 protein deletion correlated remarkably with the pathological grade of HCC (x2 = 0.072, P＜0.05). Rb protein deletion rate in cancerous tissues of 40 HCCs was42.5%, which was also higher than that in para-cancerous and adjacent normal liver tissues (x2 = 10.551, P＜0.01;x2= 18.353, P＜0.01). Rb protein deletion rate did not correlate remarkably with tumor size or pathological grade of HCC (x2 = 0.014, P＞0.05; x2 = 0.017, P＞0.05).CONCLUSION: Expression deletion of HBsAg, HBcAg, p21and Rb proteins in HCCs may play important roles in the carcinogenesis of HCC. Tissue microarray is an effective high-throughput technique platform for cancer research.