title: Overexpression of sterol carrier protein-2 mRNA in patients with cholesterol gallstones.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypersecretion of biliary cholesterol is believed to be one of the important causes of lithogenic bile. Sterol carrier protein-2(SCP2) participates in cholesterol trafficking and metabolism and may play a key role in cholesterol gallstone formation. This study was undertaken to investigate the expression of liver SCP2 mRNA in patients with cholesterol gallstone and those patients with non-cholesterol gallstone.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of liver SCP2mRNA was studied in 36 patients with cholesterol gallstone and 30 patients with non-cholesterol gallstone by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of SCP2 mRNA was increased more significantly in patients with cholesterol gallstone than in patients with non-cholesterol gallstone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SCP2 gene was overexpressed in patients with cholesterol gallstone, indicating that SCP2 may be one of the important causes of cholesterol gallstone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Tianjin Nankai Hospital, Tianjin 300100, China. yunfengcuidoctor@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Nai-Qiang
authors.initials: NQ
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Shu-Kun
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yun-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Dong-Hua
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xian-Zhong
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012016:Reference Values; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013261:Sterols / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D005819:Genetic Markers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013261:Sterols; D002784:Cholesterol