Circulating RNA ZFR promotes hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition process through miR-624-3p/WEE1 axis

Background:Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),the most common type of primary liver cancer,is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.Previous evidence shows that the expression of circulating RNA ZFR(circZFR)is upregulated in HCC tissues.However,the molecular mechanism of circZFR in HCC is unclear.Methods:Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)was employed to detect the expression of circZFR,microRNA-624-3p(miR-624-3p)and WEE1 in HCC tissues and cells.RNase R assay and actinomycin D treatment assay were used to analyze the characteristics of circZFR.For functional analysis,the capacities of colony formation,cell proliferation,cell apoptosis,migration and invasion were assessed by colony formation assay,5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine(EdU)assay,flow cytometry assay and transwell assay.Western blot was used to examine the protein levels of WEE1 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)-related proteins.The interactions between miR-624-3p and circZFR or WEE1 were validated by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation(RIP)assay.Xenograft models were established to determine the role of circZFR in vivo.Results:circZFR and WEE1 were upregulated,while miR-624-3p expression was reduced in HCC tissues and cells.circZFR could sponge miR-624-3p,and WEE1 was a downstream gene of miR-624-3p.Knockdown of circZFR significantly reduced the malignant behaviors of HCC and that co-transfection with miR624-3p inhibitor restored this change.Overexpression of WEE1 abolished the inhibitory effect of miR624-3p mimic on HCC cells.Mechanistically,circZFR acted as a competitive endogenous RNA(ceRNA)to regulate WEE1 expression by targeting miR-624-3p.Furthermore,in vivo studies have illustrated that circZFR knockdown inhibited tumor growth.Conclusions:circZFR knockdown reduced HCC cell proliferation,migration and invasion and promoted apoptosis by regulating the miR-624-3p/WEE1 axis,suggesting that the circZFR/miR-624-3p/WEE1 axis might be a potential target for HCC treatment.

NQO1 Mediates Lenvatinib Resistance by Regulating ROS-induced Apoptosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the third leading cause of cancer-associated death worldwide.As a first-line drug for advanced HCC treatment,lenvatinib faces a significant hurdle due to the development of both intrinsic and acquired resistance among patients,and the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown.The present study aims to identify the pivotal gene responsible for lenvatinib resistance in HCC,explore the potential molecular mechanism,and propose combinatorial therapeutic targets for HCC management.Methods Cell viability and colony formation assays were conducted to evaluate the sensitivity of cells to lenvatinib and dicoumarol.RNA-Seq was used to determine the differences in transcriptome between parental cells and lenvatinib-resistant(LR)cells.The upregulated genes were analyzed by GO and KEGG analyses.Then,qPCR and Western blotting were employed to determine the relative gene expression levels.Afterwards,the intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry.Results PLC-LR and Hep3B-LR were established.There was a total of 116 significantly upregulated genes common to both LR cell lines.The GO and KEGG analyses indicated that these genes were involved in oxidoreductase and dehydrogenase activities,and reactive oxygen species pathways.Notably,NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1)was highly expressed in LR cells,and was involved in the lenvatinib resistance.The high expression of NQO1 decreased the production of ROS induced by lenvatinib,and subsequently suppressed the apoptosis.The combination of lenvatinib and NQO1 inhibitor,dicoumarol,reversed the resistance of LR cells.Conclusion The high NQO1 expression in HCC cells impedes the lenvatinib-induced apoptosis by regulating the ROS levels,thereby promoting lenvatinib resistance in HCC cells.

Long noncoding RNAs HAND2-AS1 ultrasound microbubbles suppress hepatocellular carcinoma progression by regulating the miR-873-5p/tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2 axis

BACKGROUND Increasing data indicated that long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs)were directly or indirectly involved in the occurrence and development of tumors,including hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Recent studies had found that the expression of lncRNA HAND2-AS1 was downregulated in HCC tissues,but its role in HCC progression is unclear.Ultrasound targeted microbubble destruction mediated gene transfection is a new method to overexpress genes.AIM To study the role of ultrasound microbubbles(UTMBs)mediated HAND2-AS1 in the progression of HCC,in order to provide a new reference for the treatment of HCC.METHODS In vitro,we transfected HAND2-AS1 siRNA into HepG2 cells by UTMBs,and detected cell proliferation,apoptosis,invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)by cell counting kit-8 assay,flow cytometry,Transwell invasion assay and Western blotting,respectively.In addition,we transfected miR-837-5p mimic into UTMBs treated cells and observed the changes of cell behavior.Next,the UTMBs treated HepG2 cells were transfected together with miR-837-5p mimic and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2(TIMP2)overexpression vector,and we detected cell proliferation,apoptosis,invasion and EMT.In vivo,we established a mouse model of subcutaneous transplantation of HepG2 cells and observed the effect of HAND2-AS1 silencing on tumor formation ability.RESULTS We found that UTMBs carrying HAND2-AS1 restricted cell proliferation,invasion,and EMT,encouraged apoptosis,and HAND2-AS1 silencing eliminated the effect of UTMBs.Additionally,miR-873-5p targets the gene HAND2-AS1,which also targets the 3’UTR of TIMP2.And miR-873-5p mimic counteracted the impact of HAND2-AS1.Further,miR-873-5p mimic solely or in combination with pcDNA-TIMP2 had been transformed into HepG2 cells exposed to UTMBs.We discovered that TIMP2 reversed the effect of miR-873-5p mimic caused by the blocked signalling cascade for matrix metalloproteinase(MMP)2/MMP9.In vivo results showed that HAND2-AS1 silencing significantly inhibited tumor formation in mice.CONCLUSION LncRNA HAND2-AS1 promotes TIMP2 expression by targeting miR-873-5p to inhibit HepG2 cell growth and delay HCC progression.

Role of p53 suppression in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma

In the world,hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is among the top 10 most prevalent malignancies.HCC formation has indeed been linked to numerous etiological factors,including alcohol usage,hepatitis viruses and liver cirrhosis.Among the most prevalent defects in a wide range of tumours,notably HCC,is the silencing of the p53 tumour suppressor gene.The control of the cell cycle and the preservation of gene function are both critically important functions of p53.In order to pinpoint the core mechanisms of HCC and find more efficient treatments,molecular research employing HCC tissues has been the main focus.Stimulated p53 triggers necessary reactions that achieve cell cycle arrest,genetic stability,DNA repair and the elimination of DNA-damaged cells’responses to biological stressors(like oncogenes or DNA damage).To the contrary hand,the oncogene protein of the murine double minute 2(MDM2)is a significant biological inhibitor of p53.MDM2 causes p53 protein degradation,which in turn adversely controls p53 function.Despite carrying wt-p53,the majority of HCCs show abnormalities in the p53-expressed apoptotic pathway.High p53 in-vivo expression might have two clinical impacts on HCC:(1)Increased levels of exogenous p53 protein cause tumour cells to undergo apoptosis by preventing cell growth through a number of biological pathways;and(2)Exogenous p53 makes HCC susceptible to various anticancer drugs.This review describes the functions and primary mechanisms of p53 in pathological mechanism,chemoresistance and therapeutic mechanisms of HCC.

Expression of p57^(kip2) and its relationship with clinicopathology, PCNA and p53 in primary hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To investigate the expression of p57kip2 and its relationship with clinicopathology, PCNA and p53 in primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Expression of p57kip2, PCNA and p53 in tumor tissues from 32 patients with HCC and 10 liver tissues of normal persons was detected with Elivision immunohistochemical technique. RESULTS: The p57kip2 protein positive-expression rate in HCC was 56.25%, lower than that in normal tissues (100%, P<0.05). The reduced expression of p57kip2 protein correlated significantly with moderate or low differentiation of tumor cells (P = 0.007 <0.05), high clinical stage (P= 0.041 <0.05) and poor prognosis (P= 0.036 <0.05), but did not correlate significantly with metastasis, tumor size, level of AFP and age (P>0.05). The PCNA positive-expression rate was 56.25%, which was correlated significantly with the expression of p57kip2 (P= 0.025<0.05). The p53 positive-expression rate was 46.88%, which was not correlated significantly with the expression of p57kip2 (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: There is a marked loss or absence of p57kip2 expression and high expression of PCNA in HCC, which are involved in carcinogenesis and development of HCC. The p57kip2 and p53 may induce apoptosis via different mechanisms.

Genetic aberration in primary hepatocellular carcinoma:correlation between p53 gene mutation and loss-of-heterozygosity on chromosome 16q21-q23 and 9p21-p23

To elucidate the molecular pathology underlying the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we used 41 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers to examine 55 HCC and corresponding non-tumor liver tissues on chromosome 9, 16 and 17. Loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH) is observed with high frequency on chromosomal region 17p13 (36/55, 65%), 9p21-p23 (28/55, 51%), 16q21-q23 (27/55, 49%) in tumors. Meanwhile, microsatellite instability is rarely found in these microsatellite loci. Direct sequencing was performed to detect the tentative mutation of tumor suppressor genes in these regions: p53, MTS1/p16, and CDH1/E-cadherin. Within exon 5-9 of p53 gene, 14 out of 55 HCC specimens (24%) have somatic mutations, and nucleotide deletion of this gene is reported in HCC for the first time. Mutation in MTS1/pl6 is found only in one tumor case. We do not find mutations in CDH1/E-cadherin. Furthermore, a statistically significant correlation is present between p53 gene mutation and loss of chromosome region 16q21q23 and 9p21-p23, which indicates that synergism between p53 inactivation and deletion of 16q21-q23 and 9p21-p23 may play a role in the pathogenesis of HCC. Genetic aberration in hepatocellular

The Effect of Different Interventional Treatment on P-Glycoprotein in Different Histopathological Types and Grades of Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma

To study the effect of the different interventional treatment on P Glycoprotein (Pgp) in different histopathological types of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC), 98 surgically and histologically verified PHC specimens were obtained. The patients included 57 patients treated by surgical resection alone and 41 patients receiving second stage surgical resection after four kinds of interventional treatment. SABC immunohistochemical staining with a monoclonal antibody against human Pgp was used to observe the Pgp in all specimens. The positive rate of Pgp was 100 % in group of chemotherapy alone ( P <0.05), 62.5 % in group of chemotherapy combined with iodized oil ( P >0.05), 46.6 % in group of chemotherapy combined with iodized oil and spongia gelatini absorbens (Sga) ( P >0.05), 18.18 % in group of chemotherapy combined with Ethanol iodized oil and Sga ( P <0.05) and 52.63 % in group of surgical resection alone. The positive rate of Pgp varied with different histopathological types, with rate of clear cell PHC being the lowest, and that of poorly differentiated or undifferentiated PHC the highest. The positive rate of Pgp was increased as pathological grades increased. Overexpression of Pgp may be responsible for the intrinsic and acquired drug resistance of PHC. Multidrug resistance (MDR) varied with different histological types. Therapy of PHC should be tailored according to individual. Local chemotherapy combined with ethanol iodized oil and Sga embolization may become a new way to overcome MDR of PHC.

High Rate of P16 Methylation Associated with Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective： To investigate the potential linkage between high rate of p16 methylation and hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection, methylation status of p16, HBV infection markers in serum and HBV-DNA replication level in cancerous and non-cancerous tissue of 32 cases of hepatocellular carcinomas （HCC） with HBV infection and 12 HCCs without HBV infection were examined. Methods： p16 methylation was detected with methylation-specific polymerase Chain reaction （PCR）, and HBV markers were examined with real-time PCR and immunologic method. Results： Methylation of p16 promoter was found in 31 （70.5%） of 44 cancerous tissues of HCC, 2 （16.7%） of 12 HCC without HBV infection, 29 （90.6%） of 32 HCCs with HBV infection marker, p16 methylation was detected in 5 （83.3%） of 6 HCCs positive for HBsAg and HBeAg, 17 （94.4%） of 18 HCCs positive for HBsAg and negative for HBeAg, 7/8 （87.5%） of HCCs positive for other HBV infection markers, such as HBsAB, HBcAb, HBeAb. p16 methylation products were also found in non-cancerous tissues of 4 cases of HCCs with HBV infection, not detected in non-cancerous tissues without HBV infection. HBV-DNA was detected in cancerous tissues of 29/32 （90%） HCCs with HBV infection. Surprisingly, Methylation product of p16 promoter was found in all cases （29/29） of HCCs with detectable HBV-DNA in neoplastic tissue. Conclusion： Persistent HBV infection may promote p16 hypermethylation, suggesting that HBV, via enhancing the aberrant methylation of p16, indirectly involved in development of HCC.

Down-regulated Expression of Cytochrome P450 Related Genes Involved in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective： To analyze the differentially expressed genes （DEGs） among hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）, para-cancerous tissue （PCT） and normal liver tissue （NLT） by using hgilent microarray and explore the target genes related to the development and progression of HCC. Methods： Total RNA of matched HCC, PCT and NLT of HCC patients was isolated using one step Trizol method and qualified using Lab-onchip method, cRNAs were synthesized, fluoresce labeled and purified after total RNAs purified. The RNAs of HCC and NLT, HCC and PCT were hybridized to Agilent microarray （21 074 probes） respectively. The fluorescence intensities were detected by Agilent scanner and quantified by Feature Extraction software. The DEGs which both differentially expressed in HCC vs NLT and HCC vs PCT were selected as candidate genes and confirmed by SYBR Green I stained real time RT-PCR. Results： （1） The total RNAs, reverse transcription products and fluoresce labeled cRNAs were of high quality; （2） There were 420 up-regulated genes and 552 down-regulated genes in 2-fold DEGs, including 23 genes related to cytochrome P450; （3） CYP2C8 was selected as a candidate gene of 10-fold down-regulated genes. The results of real time RTPCR, using β-actin as an internal control, revealed that the 2^-ΔCt values of CYP2C8 in HCC, PCT and NLT were 0.009383, 0.316812 and 0.607182, respectively. Conclusion： （1） The high throughput and effective Agilent oligomicroarray can screen novel therapy target genes by analyzing the DGEs in development and progression of HCC; （2） The development and progression of HCC is a complicated process involving multigenes and multiprocedures; （3） Down-regulated expression of cytochrome P450 related genes maybe involved in the development and progression of HCC due to the increased activity of certain carcinogens and maybe the exact mechanism need further study.

Successful management of postoperative recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma with p53 gene therapy combining transcatheter arterial chemoembolization

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) has become the standard treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). But this method has some shortages. p53 gene, which was found to be mutant in many human tumors, has been proved with broadspectrum anti-tumor effects. We reported a 23-year-old patient with recurrent HCC after irregular hepatectomy. The p53 gene was applied to this patient. We injected percutaneously and infused transcatheterally p53 gene (Gendicine, Shenzhen Sibiono Bentech, China) into his recurrent nodules in liver respectively and 4 d later, the patient received TACE therapy. In the 2 mo follow-up, the patient was in good clinical condition with normal liver function and no recurrence was identified. The case report proposed that recurrent HCC could be successfully treated with p53 gene therapy combining TACE.

Molecular mechanism underlying the functional loss of cyclindependent kinase inhibitors p16 and p27 in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） is one of the most common human cancers, and its incidence is still increasing in many countries. The prognosis of HCC patients remains poor, and identification of useful molecular prognostic markers is required. Many recent studies have shown that functional alterations of cellcycle regulators can be observed in HCC. Among the various types of cell-cycle regulators, p16 and p27 are frequently inactivated in HCC and are considered to be potent tumor suppressors, p16, a G1-specific cell-cycle inhibitor that prevents the association of cyclindependent kinase （CDK） 4 and CDK6 with cyclin DI, is frequently inactivated in HCC via CpG methylation of its promoter region, p16 may be involved in the early steps of hepatocarcinogenesis, since p16 gene methylation has been detected in subsets of pre-neoplastic liver cirrhosis patients, p27, a negative regulator of the G1-S phase transition through inhibition of the kinase activities of Cdk2/cyclin A and Cdk2/cyclin E complexes, is now considered to be an adverse prognostic factor in HCC. In some cases of HCC with increased cell proliferation, p27 is overexpressed but inactivated by sequestration into cyclin D1-CDK4-containing complexes. Since loss of p16 is closely related to functional inactivation of p27 in HCC, investigating both p16 and p27 may be useful for precise prognostic predictions in individuals with HCC.

Dysregulation of apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） is a major health prob- lem, being the sixth most common cancer world-wide. Dysregulation of the balance between proliferation and cell death represents a pro-tumorigenic principle in hu- man hepatocarcinogenesis. This review updates the recent relevant contributions reporting molecular altera- tions for HCC that induce an imbalance in the regulation of apoptosis. Alterations in the expression and/or activation of p53 are frequent in HCC cells, which confer on them resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. Many HCCs are also insensitive to apoptosis induced either by death receptor ligands, such as FasL or TRAIL, or by transforming growth factor-beta （TGF-β）. Although the expression of some pro-apoptotic genes is decreased, the balance between death and survival is dysregulated in HCC mainly due to overactivation of anti-apoptotic pathways. Indeed, some molecules involved in counter- acting apoptosis, such as Bcl-X1, Mcl-1, c-IAP1, XIAP or survivin are over-expressed in HCC cells. Furthermore, some growth factors that mediate cell survival are upregulated in HCC, as well as the molecules involved in the machinery responsible for cleavage of their pro- forms to an active peptide. The expression and/or activation of the JAK/STAT, PI3K/AKT and RAS/ERKs path- ways are enhanced in many HCC cells, conferring on them resistance to apoptotic stimuli. Finally, recent evi- dence indicates that inflammatory processes, as well as the epithelial-mesenchymal transitions that occur in HCC cells to facilitate their dissemination, are related to cell survival. Therefore, therapeutic strategies to selectively inhibit anti-apoptotic signals in liver tumor cells have the potential to provide powerful tools to treat HCC.

Relation among p130Cas,E-cadherin and β-catenin expression,clinicopathologic significance and prognosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND:p130Cas(p130Crk-associated substance) is a junction protein that is important to the adhesion between cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix.Also the adhesion molecules E-cadherin andβ-catenin play important roles in the invasiveness of carcinoma.This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of p130Cas E-cadherin andβ-catenin on the invasion,metastasis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC). METHODS:Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the expression of p130Cas,E-cadherin,andβ-catenin in 40 patients with HCC.All patients were followed up postoperatively,and the relationship between expression and clinicopathological prognostic parameters was analyzed RESULTS:The positive expression rates of p130Cas and E-cadherin in HCC tissue(n=40)were 62.50%and 55.00% but in normal liver tissue 10%,and 100%,respectively (P<0.05).The abnormal expression rate ofβ-catenin in HCC tissue was 70%,while in normal liver tissue it was 13.33%(P<0.05).The positive rate of p130Cas was correlated with lymph node invasion,pathological stage TNM stage,and a worse prognosis,but not with gender age,HBV infection,hepatic cirrhosis,alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)level before operation,and tumor diameter Similarly,the expression of E-cadherin andβ-catenin was correlated with lymph node invasion,pathological stage,TNM stage,and worse prognosis,but not with gender,age,HBV infection,hepatic cirrhosis,AFP level before operation,and tumor size.Correlations were found between p130Cas and abnormal E-cadherin/β-catenin expression(P<0.001 and<0.05,respectively).CONCLUSIONS:In HCC,there is a negative correlation between the positive expression of p130Cas and the normal expression of the adhesion molecules E-cadherin/β-catenin, and p130Cas plays important roles in the invasion, metastasis and prognosis of HCC.p130Cas may be involved in alterating the structure and function of E-cadherin/ β-catenin,by regulating tyrosine phosphorylation via the p130Cas-Src signal pathway.

Frequent loss of heterozygosity in two distinct regions,8p23.1 and 8p22, in hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM： To identify the precise location of putative tumor suppressor genes （TSGs） on the short arm of chromosome 8 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. METHODS： We used 16 microsatellite markers informative in Japanese patients, which were selected from 61 pub- lished markers, on 81：）, to analyze the frequency of loss of heterozygosity （LOH） in each region in 33 cases （56 lesions） of HCC. RESULTS： The frequency of LOH at 8p23.2-21 with at least one marker was 63% （20/32） in the informative cases. More specifically, the frequency of LOH at 8p23.2, 8p23.1, 8p22, and 8p21 was 6%, 52%, 47%, and 13% in HCC cases. The LOH was significantly more frequent at 8p23.1 and 8p22 than the average （52% vs 220, P = 0.0008; and 47% vs 22%, P = 0.004, respectively） or others sites, such as 8p23.2 （52% vs 60, P = 0.003; 47% vs 220, P = 0.004） and 8p21 （52% vs 13%, P = 0.001; 47% vs 13%, P = 0.005） in liver cancer on the basis of cases. Notably, LOH frequency was significantly higher at D85277, DSS503, DSS1130, DSS552, DSS254 and D8S258 than at the other sites. However, no allelic loss was detected at any marker on 8p in the lesions of nontumor liver tissues. CONCLUSION： Deletion of 8p, especially the loss of 8p23.1-22, is an important event in the initiation or promotion of HCC. Our results should be useful in identi- fying critical genes that might lie at 8p23.1-22.

Expression and clinical significance of p53,JunB and KAI1/CD82 in human hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The mechanism of regulation of KAI1, a specific tumor metastasis suppression gene, is controversial. A recent study showed that the synergism of wild-type p53 and JunB has the function of regulating the expression of KAI1, a metastasis inhibiting factor in prostate cancer cells. The wild-type p53 gene is an activator of apoptosis and is closely related to malignant tumor cell multiplication. JunB, a member of the fos/jun family, is a key component of activator protein transcription factor and a major target element in the transmission pathway of mitosis. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the expression of KAI1 and p53 combined with JunB in tumor tissues and clinical outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. METHODS: Quantitative real-time RT-PCR, Western blotting techniques and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the expression of KAI1 mRNA, KAI1/CD82, p53 and JunB in HCC patients, and the relationship between their expression and the clinicopathological prognostic parameters was analyzed. RESULTS: In cancer tissues, the values for positive expression of KAI1 mRNA, KAI1/CD82, p53 and JunB were 31.25%, 26.25%, 48.75%, and 20.00%, respectively, while in adjacent non-tumor tissues, they were 100%, 94.74%, 2.63%, and 76.32%, respectively. There was no correlation between the expression levels of p53 or JunB and KAI1 mRNA or KAI1/CD82. However, there were significant correlations between the expression levels of p53 combined with JunB and not only KAI1 mRNA but also KAI1/CD82 proteins. CONCLUSIONS: When p53 dysfunction and low expression of JunB are simultaneous, they may play an important role in down-regulating the expression of KAI1 by synergism in HCC. But further studies in vivo and in vitro are needed to verify these results.

Immunohistochemical analysis of p53,cyclinD1,RB1,c-fos and N-ras gene expression in hepatocellular carcinoma in Iran

AIM： TO study the effect of some genes especially those involved in cell cycle regulation on hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS： Paraffin-embedded tissue samples of 25 patients （18 males and 7 females） with hepatocellular carcinoma were collected from 22 pathology centers in Tehran during 2000-2001, and stained using immunohistochemistry method （avidin-biotin-peroxidase） for detection of p53, cyclinD1, RB1, c-los and N-ras proteins. RESULTS： Six （24%）, 5 （20%）, 12 （48%） and 2 samples （8%） were positive for p53, cyclinDl, C-los and N-ras expression, respectively. Twenty-two （88%） samples had alterations in the （31 cell-cycle checkpoint protein expression （RBI or cyclinD1）. P53 positive samples showed a higher （9 times） risk of being positive for RBI protein than p53 negative samples. Loss of expression of RBI in association with p53 over-expression was observed in 4 （66.7%） of 6 samples. Loss of expression of RBI was seen in all cyclinD1 positive, 20 （90.9%） N-ras negative, and ii （50%） C-fos positive samples, respectively. CyclinD1 positive samples showed a higher （2.85 and 4.75 times） risk of being positive for c-los and N-ras expression than cyclinD1 negative samples. CONCLUSION： The expression of p53, RB1 and c-los genes appears to have a key role in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma in Iran. Simultaneous overexpression of these genes is significantly associated with their loss of expression during development of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Tissue microarray for high-throughput analysis of gene expression profiles in hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To study the expression profiles of HBsAg, HBcAg,p21WAF1/CIP1 (p21), Rb genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to investigate their roles in the hepatocarcinogenesis.METHODS: HCC tissue microarray containing 120-min tissues of 40 HCC cases was constructed. HBsAg, HBc Ag,p21 and Rb proteins were immunohistochemically stained by streptavidin-peroxidase conjugated method (S-P). The expression loss of these genes in cancerous, paracancerous tissues and adjacent normal liver tissues of 40HCCs were comparatively examined.RESULTS: The positive rate of HBsAg expression in cancerous tissues of 40 HCCs was 7.5%, which was lower than that in para-cancerous and adjacent normal liver tissues (x2 =12.774, P＜0.01; x2= 18.442, P＜0.01). The positive rate of HBcAg expression in cancerous tissues of 40 HCCs was 20.0%, which was also lower than that in para-cancerous and adjacent normal liver tissues(x2= 9.482, P＜0.01; x2= 14.645, P＜0.01). p21 protein deletion rate in cancerous tissues of 40 HCCs was 27.5%,which was higher than that in para-cancerous and adjacent normal liver tissues (x2 = 7.439, P＜0.01; x2 = 11.174,P＜0.01). p21 protein deletion correlated remarkably with the pathological grade of HCC (x2 = 0.072, P＜0.05). Rb protein deletion rate in cancerous tissues of 40 HCCs was42.5%, which was also higher than that in para-cancerous and adjacent normal liver tissues (x2 = 10.551, P＜0.01;x2= 18.353, P＜0.01). Rb protein deletion rate did not correlate remarkably with tumor size or pathological grade of HCC (x2 = 0.014, P＞0.05; x2 = 0.017, P＞0.05).CONCLUSION: Expression deletion of HBsAg, HBcAg, p21and Rb proteins in HCCs may play important roles in the carcinogenesis of HCC. Tissue microarray is an effective high-throughput technique platform for cancer research.

Homozygosity for Pro of p53 Arg72Pro as a potential risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma in Chinese population

AIM: Codon 72 exon 4 polymorphism (Arg72Pro) of the p53 gene has been implicated in cancer risk. Our objective was to investigate the possible association between p53Arg72Pro polymorphism and susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among Chinese population.METHODS: The p53 Arg72Pro genotypes were determined by PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis in 507 HCC cases and 541 controls. Odds ratios (ORs) for HCC and 95% confidence intervals (CIs)from unconditional logistic regression models were used to evaluate relative risks. Potential risk factors were included in the logistic regression models as covariates in the multivariate analyses on genotype and HCC.RESULTS: The frequencies for Pro and Arg alleles were 44.5%, 55.5% in HCC cases, and 40.3% and 59.7% in controls, respectively. The Pro allele was significantly associated with the presence of HCC (P = 0.05) and had a higher risk for HCC (OR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.00-1.41) as compared with the Arg allele. After adjusted for potential risk factors, Arg/Pro heterozygotes had an 1.21-fold increased risk (95% CI 0.82-1.78, P = 0.34) of HCC compared with Arg homozygotes, whereas the risk for Pro homozygotes was 1.79 (95% CI 1.06-3.01, P = 0.03) times higher than that for Arg homozygotes. Pro-allele carriers had a higher relative risk of HCC than the Arg-only carriers (adjusted OR = 1.33, 95% CI 0.92-1.92, P = 0.13), although the difference was not statistically significant.CONCLUSION: Homozygosity for Pro of p53 Arg72Pro is potentially one of the genetic risk factors for HCC in Chinese population. The p53 Arg72Pro polymorphism may be used as a stratification marker in screening individuals at a high risk of HCC.

Alpha-fetoprotein expression is a potential prognostic marker in hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM： To characterize the alpha-fetoprotein （AFP） positive and negative hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） samples. METHODS： Thirty-seven paraffin-embedded human HCC samples were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for the following antigens： AFP,β-catenin, p53, CD44, MSH-2, MLH-1, and HNF-4. The tumors were divided into two groups based on the AFP expression. The immunophenotypic data and important clinical parameters were studied between the two groups. RESULTS： Twenty-one of the thirty-seven examined HCCs were AFP positive. Seven with nudear p53 staining were AFP positive, while seven tumors with nuclear β-catenin staining were AFP negative. CD44 staining and high histological tumor grade were more frequent among the AFP-positive HCCs. The other immunophenotypical and dinical parameters did not show statistically significant difference in their distribution between the AFP positive and negative samples. CONCLUSION： AFP expression in HCC correlates with unfavorable prognostic factors, while nuclear β-catenin positivity is more common among the AFP-negative liver tumors. This observation supports the microarray data on in vivo human tumors.

Association between MDM2-SNP309 and hepatocellular carcinoma in Taiwan Residents population

AIM:To investigate the risk association and compare the onset age of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) patients in Taiwan with different genotypes of MDM2- SNP309. METHODS:We analyzed MDM2-SNP309 genotypes from 58 patients with HCC and 138 cancer-free healthy controls consecutively.Genotyping of MDM2-SNP309 was conducted by restriction fragment length polymor- phism assay. RESULTS:The proportion of homozygous MDM2- SNP309 genotype(G/G)in cases and cancer-free healthy controls was similar(17.2%vs 16.7%).Multi-variate analysis showed that the risk of G/G genotypeof MDM2-SNP309 vs wild-type T/T genotype in patients with HCC was not significant(OR=1.265,95% CI=0.074-21.77)after adjustment for sex,hepatitis B or C virus infection,age,and cardiovascular disease/ diabetes.Nevertheless,there was a trend that GG genotype of MDM2-SNP309 might increase the risk in HCC patients infected with hepatitis virus(OR=2.568, 95%CI=0.054-121.69).Besides,the homozygous MDM2-SNP309 genotype did not exhibit a significantly earlier age of onset for HCC. CONCLUSION:Current data suggest that the asso- ciation between MDM2-SNP309 GG genotype and HCC is not significant,while the risk may be enhanced in patients infected by hepatitis virus in Taiwan.