TM4SF5 overexpression correlates with VEGF expression and vessel formation in human hepatocarcinoma. Normal and tumor liver tissues separately obtained from 9 Korean hepatocarcinoma patients were analyzed by standard Western blot for the indicated proteins (A) or by immunohistochemistry for human CD31 at × 100 magnification (B). Western blot for the sixth patient was not shown because the sample was not available for immunoblots. However, a previous report showed that TM4SF5 was overexpressed in tumor tissue of the sixth patient by immunohistochemistry.²⁴  VEGF expression in 7 of 9 cases (cases 1, 3-6, 8, and 9) correlated to TM4SF5 overexpression. Case 2 was negative for TM4SF5, VEGF expression, or vessel formation, and case 7 did not show clear correlations between the parameters. In addition, we could not find any histologic differences in TM4SF5-positive and -negative samples. P values less than .05 were considered significant: *P < .05; **P > .05. Data are representative of 3 independent experiments.