title: [The value of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase mRNA typing in monitoring carcinogensis of heptocytes].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the relationship between the alteration in gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) mRNA expression and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Three GGT mRNA types (A, B, C) in normal liver tissue, diseased liver tissue without HCC, cancerous and noncancerous tissues from livers with HCC, noncancerous tissues from livers with metastatic tumor and peripheral blood of all the cases were tested by using RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In normal livers, the main type of GGT mRNA was type A. In cases with liver diseases but not HCC, the proportion of the types of GGT mRNA was nearly the same as that in normal livers. The proportion of type B was significantly higher in both the cancerous and noncancerous tissues of livers with HCC than in livers without HCC (P < 0.05). The expression of type A in cancerous tissue was significantly lower than that in the tissue of livers without HCC (P < 0.05). Among the 26 cases with HCC, GGT mRNA-B was found in the peripheral blood of 12. In 10 HCC cases with negative AFP, GGT mRNA-B was found in the peripheral blood of 5.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GGT mRNA expression in the human liver might shift from type A to type B during the development of HCC. Fragment analysis of GGT genes might be a sensitive assay to monitor the cancerous change of hepatic cell.
authors.affiliation: Center of Liver Disease, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan 250021, China.
authors.forename: Guoqing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Chengyong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Wanhua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Hualin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase