title: Identification, using cDNA macroarray analysis, of distinct gene expression profiles associated with pathological and virological features of hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: It is still unclear as to whether the gene expression profile in HCV- or HBV-related HCC exhibits a degree of specificity and whether the development of HCC in a context of cirrhosis influences this gene profile. To address these issues, the expression profiles of 15 cases of HCC were analysed using cDNA macroarray. A global analysis and hierarchical clustering, demonstrated the heterogeneity of HCC patterns, with a majority of down-regulated genes. Statistical analysis clearly showed a distinction between the gene expression profiles of HCV- and HBV-related HCC. HBV-associated HCC exhibited involvement of different cellular pathways, those controlling apoptosis, p53 signalling and G1/S transition. In HCV-related HCC we identified a more heterogenous pattern with an over-expression of the TGF-beta induced gene. In HCC developing on non-cirrhotic tissues, beta-catenin encoding gene and genes implicated in the PKC pathway were specifically up-regulated. In addition, our investigation highlighted a distinct profiles of TGF-beta superfamily encoding genes in well, moderately or poorly differentiated HCC. Overall, our study supports the hypothesis that despite the heterogeneity of the HCC pattern, the large-scale screening of gene expression may provide data significant to our understanding of the mechanism of liver carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U370, CHU Necker/Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Oona
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Delpuech
authors.forename: Jean-Baptiste
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Trabut
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carnot
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feuillard
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brechot
authors.forename: Dina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kremsdorf
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D016174:Hepacivirus; D006515:Hepatitis B virus; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction