Abnormal beta-catenin gene expression with invasiveness of primary hepatocellular carcinoma in China.
OBJECTIVE
To study the abnormal expression of beta-catenin gene and its relationship ith invasiveness of primary hepatocellular carcinoma among Chinese people.


METHODS
Thirty-four hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) specimens and adjacent para-cancerous tissues, 4 normal liver tissues were immunohistochemically stained to study subcellular distribution of beta-catenin. Semiquantitive analysis of expression of beta-catenin gene exon 3 mRNA was examined by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. The relationship between expressions of both beta-catenin protein, mRNA and clinicopathological characteristics of HCC was also analyzed.


RESULTS
Immuno-histochemistry showed that all normal liver tissues and para-cancerous tissues examined displayed membranous type staining for beta-catenin protein, occasionally with weak expression in the cytoplasm. While 21 cases (61.8%) of HCC examined showed accumulated type in cytoplasms or nuclei. The accumulated type Labling Index (LI) of cancer tissue and para-cancerous tissue was (59.9 +/- 26.3) and (18.3 +/- 9.7) respectively (P<0.01). Higher accumulated type LI was closely related with invasiveness of HCC. Results of RT-PCR showed the beta-catenin gene exon 3 mRNA Expression Index (EI) of 34 HCCs was higher than that of para-cancerous tissue and normal liver tissue. Using in situ hybridization, the signal corresponding to beta-catenin gene exon 3 mRNA was particularly strong in cytoplasm of HCC when compared with those of para-cancerous and normal liver tissues. Over expression of beta-catenin exon 3 was also found to be correlated with high metastatic potential of HCC.


CONCLUSIONS
Abnormal expression of beta-catenin gene may contribute importantly to the invasiveness of HCC among Chinese people.
Cui
J
J
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. cuij@msu.edu
Zhou
X D
XD
Liu
Y K
YK
Tang
Z Y
ZY
Zile
M H
MH
D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002681:China; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D005091:Exons; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin
C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin