title: NM23-H1 and NM23-H2 messenger RNA abundance in human hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: nm23 was originally identified as an antimetastatic gene, the expression of which was inversely correlated with tumor metastatic potential in rodent model systems. Subsequently, two related human nm23 genes, nm23-H1 and nm23-H2, were identified. The relationship between expression of nm23-H1 and nm23-H2 in hepatocellular carcinoma specimens from 30 patients and metastatic potential was investigated with the use of a quantitative reverse transcription-PCR procedure. The abundance of nm23-H1 and nm23-H2 mRNA was compared with serum alpha-fetoprotein concentration, tumor size (maximum diameter), and histopathological parameters such as portal vein tumor thrombus, intrahepatic metastasis, capsular formation, capsular infiltration, differentiation of tumor cells, and TNM stage. The abundance of nm23-H1 mRNA showed a significant inverse correlation with intrahepatic metastasis and TNM stage. Furthermore, we confirmed that reduced expression of nm23-H1 mRNA was in accordance with a reduced amount of NM23-H1 protein using Western blot analysis. No correlation was apparent between nm23-H2 mRNA abundance and intrahepatic metastasis. These data support the conclusion that nm23-H1 may play a more important role than nm23-H2 in intrahepatic metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Furthermore, nm23-H1 mRNA abundance may be a predictor of intrahepatic metastasis, the most important factor correlated with the metastatic potential of hepatocellular carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery II, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iizuka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Noma
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakazawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D017931:DNA Primers; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D054778:NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009701:Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D054778:NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; C517938:NME1 protein, human; D009701:Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins