Abstract: ObjectiveTo analyze the expression and clinical significance of C-type lectin domain family 1 member B (CLEC1B), Dickkopf 1 (DKK1) and dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4)in primary hepatic cancer ( PHC) tissues. Methods A retrospective study was conducted among138 patients who underwent liver cancer resection at West China Hospital of Sichuan University fromJanuary 2022 to January 2023 and were diagnosed with PHC by postoperative pathology. Paraffin-embedded specimens of the patients’cancer tissues and adjacent tissues were collected to analyze thedifferences in the expression of CLEC1B, DKK1 and DRD4, and their relationship with clinicopathological parameters. Pearson method was used to analyze the correlation among CLEC1B,DKK1, and DRD4. Results The expression levels of CLEC1B and DRD4 in the liver cancer tissues were lower than those in the adjacent tissues. The expression level of DKK1 protein in the livercancer tissues was significantly higher than that in the adjacent tissues (P < 0. 05). The above threeproteins were mainly distributed in the cytoplasm. Low expression of CLEC1B were found in 97 cases(70. 29 % ), high expression of DKK1 in 91 cases (65. 94 % ), and low expression of DRD4 in78 cases (56. 52 % ). The low expression of CLEC1B in PHC patients was closely related to thepreoperative AFP level, vascular invasion, distant metastasis, and tumor bleeding ( P < 0. 05).The high expression of DKKI was closely related to the preoperative AFP level, BCLC Kinki staging, tumor number, and tumor size (P< 0. 05). The low expression of DRD4 was closely related tothe preoperative AFP level, tumor number, tumor size, satellite nodule, and vascular invasion(P< 0. 05). Pearson correlation analysis found that the expression levels of CLEC1B, DRD4 and DKK1 in PHC patients were negatively correlated (r = - 0. 809, r = - 0. 774, P < 0. 001). The expression levels of CLEC1B and DRD4 were positively correlated ( r = 0. 748, P < 0. 001 ). Conclusion CLEC1B and DRD4 are lowly expressed in the PHC tissues, and DKK1 is highly expressed, and their expression changes are all related to the clinicopathological parameters. CLEC1B, DKK1, and DRD4 may be involved in the occurrence and development of PHC. Therefore, they are worthy of detection.

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