title: Expression of c-kit protooncogene in human hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: The expression of the c-kit protooncogene in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was investigated. Immunohistochemical staining (IHC) and RT-PCR were employed to examine the protein and mRNA expression of c-kit protooncogene, respectively. IHC results demonstrated that 22 of 86 (25.6%) HCC tissue sections expressed c-kit protein. The c-kit mRNA transcript was further confirmed in all 22 IHC c-kit positive HCC tissue samples by RT-PCR. Moreover, the relationship between c-kit expression in HCC and prognosis of patients was statistically analyzed and a correlation was established. The group of patients whose HCC specimens showed positive c-kit staining exhibited better survival as compared to those patients with negative c-kit expression (p=0.021). These results suggest that c-kit expression may be a good prognostic indicator for HCC.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Changhua Christian Hospital, 135 Nanhsiao Street, Changhua 500, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chih-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Kun-Tu
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Nicholas C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Julia Huei-Mei
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Jen-Tsun
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Huey-Ching
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Horng
authors.forename: Cheng-Shyong
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit