title: Quantitative comparison of alpha-fetoprotein and albumin mRNA levels in hepatocellular carcinoma/adenoma, non-tumor liver and blood: implications in cancer detection and monitoring.
abstract: Early detection of recurrence is valuable for monitoring hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. By quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), we derived calibration curves for alpha-fetoprotein (afp) and albumin (alb) mRNAs using 40 matched tumors and non-tumor liver tissues from HCC/adenoma patients. We prospectively quantified tumor cells and non-tumor liver cells in 62 patients' blood samples before, during and after surgery. Expression of both mRNAs was heterogeneous (1-10(5)-fold) between tumors and HepG2 cell line. The alb-mRNA levels in non-tumor liver cells were 2-10-fold higher than in tumor cells. The afp-mRNA levels in HCC cells were 30-1000-fold higher than in non-tumor cells. The alb-mRNA level in blood may reflect the number of liver cells, whereas the afp-mRNA level may represent mostly the number of HCC cells. We found different ratios of circulating HCC cells to non-tumor liver cells during the clinical course of patients, in association with the subsequent development of recurrence/metastasis. This approach may prove useful for detecting and monitoring HCC progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, New Territories, Shatin, Hong Kong. b730764@mailserv.cuhk.edu.hk
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D018248:Adenoma, Liver Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000418:Albumins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D002138:Calibration; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012015:Reference Standards; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins