title: Expression and processing of gastrin in hepatocellular carcinoma, fibrolamellar carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Gastrin is a trophic factor within the normal gastrointestinal tract and is also a mitogen for a number of gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal tumours. Precursor forms of gastrin including progastrin (proG) and glycine-extended gastrin (G-gly) as well as the fully processed amidated gastrin (G-NH2) are expressed by tumours. There has been little study of the role of gastrin in either normal liver or liver tumours. The aim of this study was to identify the expression of CCK-B/gastrin receptor (CCK-BR), proG, G-gly and G-NH2 in normal liver and liver tumours.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue sections from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, fibrolamellar carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma as well as normal liver biopsies were assessed for expression of CCK-BR and gastrin isoforms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most liver tumours express CCK-BR and are able to process gastrin as far as proG and G-gly, although not as far as the amidated form. There appears to be little expression of the receptor and no expression of precursor forms of gastrin in normal liver.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Liver tumours express the CCK-BR and precursor forms of gastrin. This expression may be associated with tumour proliferation.
authors: Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London, UK. caplin@rfhsm.ac.uk
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Caplin
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Khan
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Savage
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Rode
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Varro
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Michaeli
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Grimes
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Brett
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Pounder
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Dhillon
mesh_terms: D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic / Q000378:metabolism*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism*; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D005755:Gastrins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational
chemical_list: D005755:Gastrins