title: [Gene expression of TGF-beta1 and its type II receptor in hepatocellular carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the gene expression of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta(1)) and its type II receptor (TGF-beta R II) in hepatocellular carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of TGF-beta(1) and TGF-beta R II at mRNA level and protein level in 30 cases of HCC was separately detected using reverse transcription-PCR and immunohistochemistry technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference in the expression of TGF-beta(1) at mRNA level between HCC tissue (24/30) and surrounding liver tissue (26/30). At the protein level, however, the expression of TGF-beta(1) decreased in HCC tissue compared with that in the surrounding liver tissue (P < 0.01). The expression of TGF-beta R II mRNA decreased significantly in HCC tissue (11/30) compared with that in the surrounding liver tissue (23/30) (P < 0.01). The less HCC expressed TGF-beta R II mRNA, the poorer the tumoral hepatocytes differentiated (P < 0.01) and the more likely the portal vein metastasis and cancer embolus appeared (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the negative growth regulation of tumoral hepatocytes by TGF-beta(1), two defects take place: the expression of TGF-beta(1) at the protein level and the expression of TGF-beta R II at the mRNA level.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510120.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II