摘要
AIM: Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is a significant healthproblem in China. But the molecular mechanisms of HCCremains unclear. APC/β-Catenin/Tcf signaling pathway, alsoknown as Wnt pathway, plays a critical role in thedevelopment and oncogenesis. As little is known about thealteration of human T-cell transcription factor-4 (hTcf-4) genein HCC, it is of interest to study the expression and mutationof hTcf-4 gene in HCC and the relationship between hTcf-4gene and progression of HCC.METHODS: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) method was used to detect the expression of hTcf-4 mRNA in 32 HCC and para-cancerous tissues and 5 normalliver tissues. PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism(PCR-SSCP) method was used to detect the mutation ofhTcf-4 exons 1, 4, 9 and 15 in HCC. The correlation ofexpression and mutation of the hTcf-4 gene withclinicopathological characteristics of HCC was also analyzed.RESULTS: RT-PCR showed that the expression rate of hTcf-4 mRNA in HCC, para-cancerous tissues and normal livertissues was 90.6 %, 71.9 % and 80 %, respectively. Thegene expression level in tumor was 0.71±0.13, much higherthan that in para-cancerous liver 0.29±0.05 and normal liver0.26±0.05 (P＜0.001), although there was no significantdifference in gene expression level between para-canceroustissues and normal liver (P＞0.05). Furthermore, hTcf-4 geneexpression was closely associated with tumor capsule statusand intrahepatic metastasis of HCC. On SSCP, 2 of 32 casesof HCC (6.25 %) displayed characteristic mutational mobilityshifts in exon 15 of the hTcf-4 gene. No abnormal shiftingbands were observed in para-cancerous tissues.CONCLUSION: The high expression level of hTcf-4 in HCC,especially in tumors with metastasis, suggests that the over-expression of hTcf-4 gene may be closely associated withdevelopment and progression of HCC, but the mutation ofthis gene seemed to play less important role in this respect.
AIM:Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is a significant health problem in China.But the molecular mechanisms of HCC remains unclear.APC/β-Catenin/Tcf signaling pathway,also known as Wnt pathway,plays a critical role in the development and oncogenesis.As little is known about the alteration of human T-cell transcription factor-4(hTcf-4)gene in HCC,it is of interest to study the expression and mutation of hTcf-4 gene in HCC and the relationship between hTcf-4 gene and progression of HCC. METHODS:Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)method was used to detect the expression of hTcf- 4 mRNA in 32 HCC and para-cancerous tissues and 5 normal liver tissues.PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP)method was used to detect the mutation of hTcf-4 exons 1,4,9 and 15 in HCC.The correlation of expression and mutation of the hTcf-4 gene with clinicopathological characteristics of HCC was also analyzed. RESULTS:RT-PCR showed that the expression rate of hTcf- 4 mRNA in HCC,para-cancerous tissues and normal liver tissues was 90.6 %,71.9 % and 80 %,respectively.The gene expression level in tumor was 0.71±0.13,much higher than that in para-cancerous liver 0.29±0.05 and normal liver 0.26±0.05(P<0.001),although there was no significant difference in gene expression level between para-cancerous tissues and normal liver(P>0.05).Furthermore,hTcf-4 gene expression was closely associated with tumor capsule status and intrahepatic metastasis of HCC.On SSCP,2 of 32 cases of HCC(6.25 %)displayed characteristic mutational mobility shifts in exon 15 of the hTcf-4 gene.No abnormal shifting bands were observed in para-cancerous tissues.CONCLUSION: The high expression level of hTcf-4 in HCC, especially in tumors with metastasis, suggests that the over-expression of hTcf-4 gene may be closely associated with development and progression of HCC, but the mutation of this gene seemed to play less important role in this respect.
基金
National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.30070743
