Expression of AFPmRNA in blood of patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To detect the expression of human alpha-fetoprotein mRNA (AFPmRNA) in peripheral blood (PBL) of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by using nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (nested RT-PCR) and to discuss relations between AFPmRNA and recurrent HCC.


METHODS
Five ml peripheral blood samples were obtained from 19 patients with recurrent HCC. To identify HCC cells in PBL, liver-specific AFPmRNA was amplified from the total RNA extracted from the whole blood by nested RT-PCR.


RESULTS
Seven patients (36.8%) with recurrent HCC were detected AFPmRNA, and 12 patients with recurrent HCC were AFPmRNA negative (63.2%). There was no significant relation between patients with AFPmRNA positive and AFPmRNA negative (P>0.05) in judging the origin of recurrent HCC.


CONCLUSIONS
AFPmRNA may not be used as a marker of origin of recurrent HCC.
Eastern Hospital of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China. liuyang@smmu.edu.cn
Yang
Y
Liu
Bai-He
BH
Zhang
Guang-Xiang
GX
Qian
Han
H
Chen
Meng-Chao
MC
Wu
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000235:genetics*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins