Disseminated tumor cells homing into rats' liver: a new possible mechanism of HCC recurrence.
OBJECTIVE
To detect the origin of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurring and attempt to propose a new recurrent mechanism.


METHODS
Orthotopic liver allotransplantation was performed on male rats with HCC- induced by diethylnitrosamine using female donors. Metastatic tumors in transplanted livers were obtained. A DNA probe that exhibits specificity for the rat Y chromosome was generated by using a set of primers specific to murine sry gene. In situ hybridization (ISH) for Y chromosome was used to detected the origin of HCC recurring. Male HCC tissue was designed to be positive control. ISH on female tissue and using non-labeled with DIG probe was thought to be negative control.


RESULTS
Positive marks were seen through ISH for Y chromosome in recurrent tumor tissue and positive control. No signal was detected in both negative controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Recurrent HCC after liver transplantation originated from disseminated tumor cells in recipients. Extrahepatic cells homing into liver may be a new HCC recurrence mechanism. Likewise, it implicates that this mechanism is responsible for HCC recurring after hepatectomy.
Li
Qi-Gen
QG
Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China.
Yang
Guang-Shun
GS
Yang
Qing
Q
Wei
Li-Xin
LX
Yang
Ning
N
Zhou
Xue-Ping
XP
Jia
Feng-Qi
FQ
D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014998:Y Chromosome