Fig. 1

Cirrhotic-ECM alteration in HCC was characterized by Col1 up-regulation. A 3 steps de-cellularization process to isolate cirrhotic-ECM from HCC specimens. Gross appear (left) and HE staining (right) showed a complete loss of cellular composition. Scale Bar: 100 μm. B Label free quantitative proteomics analysis of the abundance and component of cirrhotic-ECM in HCC. C Cox regression showed the Hazard Ratio (HR) of ECM genes in TCGA LIHC cohort. ECM genes are categorized according to matrisome. ECM_up/dn referred to the up-regulated or down-regulated ECM genes in HCC compared with para-tumor tissue. D GSEA enrichment score (NES) of ECM genes between para- and tumor-tissue in TCGA-LIHC cohort. E, F Sirius red staining of collagen fiber composition in HCC para- and tumor-tissue with or without cirrhosis (E), and quantification (F). Scale Bar: 100 μm. Collagen% referred to the area percentage of collagen fiber. Cirrhosis stage is categorized from S0 to S4 according to the pathological grading and staging systems for chronic hepatitis. G Collagen deposition in ECM from normal liver, HCC distal liver tissue, HCC para- and tumor-tissue by Sirius red and IHC staining of COL1A1. Scale Bar: 100 μm. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001