Tissue Microarray (TMA)

Tissue blocks were collected from the Biopsy archive of the 1st Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University. The FFPE tissue samples were used with the approval of Semmelweis University Regional and Institutional Committee of Science and Research Ethics (TUKEB permit number: 95/1999). Representative normal and tumorous areas were selected by two independent pathologists for TMA construction. We utilized FFPE tissue samples of HCC with and without cirrhosis. Biopsy samples of 29 HCCs (20 cirrhotic, 9 non-cirrhotic) and 9 control livers (hemangioma) were selected for TMA assembly. A detailed list of biopsy samples is provided in Table S1. From each HCC, one core from the tumor and one from the non-tumorous adjacent tissue (NAT) was selected. TMA block was sectioned, and slides were immunostained for decorin and smooth muscle actin (SMA) (Table S2). Staining intensities were analyzed by Pannoramic Viewer software using a 12-score system and evaluated by two independent pathologists visual scoring. Every sample was given a score according to the intensity of the decorin staining (no staining = 0, low decorin staining = 1–6, and high decorin staining = 7–12). The final label is determined by averaging two pathologists' scores. HCC samples were divided into decorin negative, low and high decorin expressing categories. To compensate for the variation of fibroblast content, decorin expressions were normalized to SMA content.