title: Increased steady-state levels of alpha-fetoprotein mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma: an analysis by in situ hybridization.
abstract: The molecular basis for the augmented production of alpha-fetoprotein is unknown. We have used in situ hybridization of alpha-fetoprotein cDNA to malignant hepatocytes to establish if increased serum alpha-fetoprotein concentrations are related to detectable steady-state levels of alpha-fetoprotein mRNA in hepatocytes. Tumor tissue from four patients with histologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma were examined, and the results compared to fetal liver. Northern blot hybridization for alpha-fetoprotein mRNA in tumor tissue was also analyzed. As expected a high number of grains was observed in fetal liver tissue, indicative of high levels of alpha-fetoprotein mRNA physiologically present during pre-natal development. Sections from all patients with high serum concentrations of alpha fetoprotein showed appreciable hybrid formation, which correlated semi-quantitatively with the serum concentrations. However, hybrids were not detected in a patient with a normal serum alpha-fetoprotein. The high alpha-fetoprotein mRNA levels in fetal and neoplastic liver suggest that gene transcription is the mechanism of alpha-fetoprotein production in malignancy, although the control of this mechanism remains speculative.
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Medicine, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Varagona
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haase
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dusheiko
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins