Analysis of gene expression profiles of hepatocellular carcinomas with regard to 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake pattern on positron emission tomography.
OBJECTIVE
18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake on positron emission tomography (PET) scan has been found to reflect tumour aggressiveness and prognosis in various types of cancer. In this study, the gene expression profiles of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) were evaluated to determine whether HCCs with high 18F-FDG uptake have more aggressive biological potential than those with low uptake.


METHODS
Surgical specimens were obtained from ten patients with HCC (six males and four females, age range 38-68 years). The tumour samples were divided into two groups based on the 18F-FDG PET scan findings: high 18F-FDG uptake (n=4) and low 18F-FDG uptake (n=6).


RESULTS
The pathological tumour grade was closely correlated with the 18F-FDG uptake pattern: HCCs with high 18F-FDG uptake were pathologically Edmondson-Steiner grade III, while those with low uptake were either grade II or grade II with a focal area of grade III. The total RNA was extracted from the frozen tissues of all HCCs (n=10) and adjacent non-cancerous tissue (n=7). The gene expression profiles were evaluated using an oligoDNA microarray. The HCCs with high 18F-FDG uptake showed increased expression of 11 genes--including vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, vinexin beta and core 1 UDP-galactose:N-acetylgalactosamine-alpha-R-beta 1,3-galactosyltransferase and the natural killer cell inhibitory receptor--compared to those with low uptake (p<0.005). Nine genes, including regulator of mitotic spindle assembly 1, grb2-related adaptor protein and beta-1,3-n-acetylglucosaminyltransferase, were repressed.


CONCLUSIONS
Gene expression is closely related to cell survival, cell-to-cell adhesion or cell spreading; therefore, HCCs with high 18F-FDG uptake appear to have more aggressive biological properties than those with low uptake.
Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Jong Doo
JD
Lee
Mijin
M
Yun
Jae Myun
JM
Lee
Youjeong
Y
Choi
Youn-Hee
YH
Choi
Ji Su
JS
Kim
Se Jong
SJ
Kim
Kyung Sik
KS
Kim
Woo Ick
WI
Yang
Young Nyun
YN
Park
Kwang-Hyub
KH
Han
Woo Jung
WJ
Lee
Naechun
N
Yoo
Sang Moo
SM
Lim
Jeon Han
JH
Park
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18