Original Research
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2001. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 15, 2001; 7(4): 542-546
Published online Aug 15, 2001. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v7.i4.542
Abnormal β-catenin gene expression with invasiveness of primary hepatocellular carcinoma in China
Jian Cui, Xin-Da Zhou, Yin-Kun Liu, Zhao-You Tang, Maija H Zile
Jian Cui, Xin-Da Zhou, Yin-Kun Liu, Zhao-You Tang, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Medical Center of Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Jian Cui, Maija H Zile, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by National Ninth Five-year Plan of Medical Sciences of China (96-906-0105).
Correspondence to: Jian Cui, M. D & Ph. D, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA. cuij@msu.edu
Telephone: 1-517-353-9608
Received: May 15, 2001
Revised: June 8, 2001
Accepted: June 15, 2001
Published online: August 15, 2001
Abstract

AIM: To study the abnormal expression of β-catenin gene and its relationship with invasiveness of primary hepatocellular carcinoma among Chinese people.

METHODS: Thirty-four hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) specimens and adjacent paracancerous tissues, 4 normal liver tissues were immunohistochemically stained to study subcellular distribution of β-catenin. Semiquantitive analysis of expression of β-catenin gene exon 3 mRNA was examined by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. The relationship between expressions of both β-catenin protein, mRNA and clinicopathological characteristics of HCC was also analyzed.

RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry showed that all normal liver tissues and para-cancerous tissues examined displayed membranous type staining for β-catenin protein, occasionally with weak expression in the cytoplasm. While 21 cases (61.8%) of HCC examined showed accumulated type in cytoplasms or nuclei. The accumuled type Labling Index (LI) of cancer tissue and para-cancarous tissue was (59.9 ± 26.3) and (18.3 ± 9.7) respectively (P < 0.01). Higher accumulated type LI was closely related with invasiveness of HCC. Results of RT-PCR showed the β-catenin gene exon 3 mRNA Expression Index (EI) of 34 HCCs was higher than that of para-cancerous tissue and normal liver tissue. Using in situ hybridization, the signal corresponding to β-catenin gene exon 3 mRNA was particularly strong in cytoplasm of HCC when compared with those of para-cancerous and normal liver tissues. Over expression of β-catenin exon 3 was also found to be correlated with high metastatic potential of HCC.

CONCLUSION: Abnormal expression of β-catenin gene may contribute importantly to the invasiveness of HCC among Chinese people.

Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma, wnt pathway, β-catenin gene, metastasis