Liver Cancer
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2002. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 15, 2002; 8(4): 638-643
Published online Aug 15, 2002. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v8.i4.638
Overexpression of p28/gankyrin in human hepatocellular carcinoma and its clinical significance
Xiao-Yong Fu, Hong-Yang Wang, Lu Tan, Shu-Qin Liu, Hui-Fang Cao, Meng-Chao Wu
Xiao-Yong Fu, Hong-Yang Wang, Shu-Qin Liu, Hui-Fang Cao, International Co-operation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Institute, the Second Military Medical University, 200438, Shanghai, China
Lu Tan, Department of pathology, Eastern hepatobiliary surgery hospital, the Second Military Medical University, 200438, Shanghai, China
Meng-Chao Wu, Department of clinical surgery, Eastern hepatobiliary surgery hospital, the Second Military Medical University, 200438, Shanghai, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the Chinese National Distinguished Young Scholar Awards, No.39825114, Chinese National Key Project of Basic Research, No. G1998051210 and the Key Project of the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation, No.39830080.
Correspondence to: Dr. Hong-Yang Wang, International Co-operation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Institute, the Second Military Medical University, 200438, Shanghai, China. hywangk@online.sh.cn
Telephone: +86-21-25070856 Fax: +86-21-65566851
Received: March 11, 2002
Revised: April 15, 2002
Accepted: April 20, 2002
Published online: August 15, 2002
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the expression of p28/gankyrin gene and its role in the carcinogenetic process of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS: 64 specimens of HCC and para-carcinoma tissues, 22 specimens of non-tumor liver tissues (7 normal, 15 cirrhosis), 10 specimens of normal human tissues and 5 hepatoma cell lines were studied for the expression of p28/gankyrin by Northern blot. The expression of p28/gankyrin protein was detected immunohistochemically by using the specific polyclonal antibody.

RESULTS: Northern blot analysis indicated that the expression of p28/gankyrin mRNA was intensively distributed in brain and heart, weakly in lung, spleen and muscle, undetectable in digestive system including liver, pancreas, stomach, small and large intestines. p28/gankyrin mRNA was absent in normal liver, weakly detected in liver cirrhosis and in 18 of 64 para-carcinoma liver tissues. In contrast, the expression of p28/gankyrin mRNA was intensively detected in all 5 hepatoma cell lines tested, markedly increased in 57 of 64 and moderately increased in 5 of 64 HCC samples. In comparison with liver cirrhosis and para-carcinoma liver tissues, the average expression of p28/gankyrin mRNA in HCC was increased 3.6- (2.901 ± 0.507 vs 0.805 ± 0.252, P < 0.05) and 5.2-fold (2.901 ± 0.507 vs 0.557 ± 0.203, P < 0.01), respectively. In addition, p28/gankyrin mRNA expression level was higher in HCC with portal vein tumor thrombus and microscopic hepatic vein involvement (P = 0.021 and P = 0.047, respectively). The overexpression of p28/gankyrin protein in HCC was targeted in hepatic tumor cells, not in bile duct cells and other interstitial cells.

CONCLUSION: Overexpression of p28/gankyrin in HCC plays an important role and contributes to the metastasis potential in the process of carcinogenesis. p28/gankyrin may become a specific biological tissue marker for the pathological diagnosis of HCC.

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