Objective To research the relationships between Orphan G-protein-coupled Receptor （LGR5） with epithelial-mesenchymal transition of hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods To test the expression of LGR5, E-CAD and N-CAD in 20 HCC tissues, 20 paracancerous tissues of HCC and 14 normal liver tissues by immunohistochemistry and to analyze the expressions of them with some clinic-pathological parameters. Results In 20 HCC specimens, the positive expressions of LGR5, E-CAD and N?CAD were 15 cases（70%）, 7 cases（35%）and 16 cases（80%）respectively. In 20 paracancerous tissues of HCC specimens, the positive expressions were 11 cases（55%）, 11 cases（55%）and 10 cases （55%）. While in all 14 cases of normal liver tissues, the positive expressions are 4 cases（29%）, 11 cases （79%）, 4 cases（29%）respectively. Statistical analysis showed that the positive expression rate of LGR5 in HCC were obviously higher than that in paracancer and normal liver （Ρ <0.05）. The expression of LGR5 was correlated with liver function（Ρ<0.05）, but no statistically significant with age, gender, tumor size, tumor TNM stages, pathological grades, HBV and liver cirrhosis serum alpha fetoprotein（Ρ＞0.05）. There was no statistical significance between the expression of E- CAD with the function of liver, age, gender, tumor size, tumor TNM stages, pathological grades, HBV and liver cirrhosis serum alpha fetoprotein（all P＞0.05）；The expression of N-CAD was not correlated with liver function, age, gender, tumor size, tumor TNM stages, pathological grades, HBVand liver cirrhosis serum alpha fetoprotein（all Ρ＞0.05）. Conclusion Primary liver cancer occurs has obvious EMT phenomenon. LGR5 is related to EMT of invasion and metastasis in primary liver cancer and it may be able to mediate EMT in primary liver cancer through the Wnt/β?catenin signal pathway.
