Tissue microarray for high-throughput analysis of gene expression profiles in hepatocellular carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To study the expression profiles of HBsAg, HBcAg, p21WAF1/CIP1 (p21), Rb genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to investigate their roles in the hepatocar-cinogenesis.


METHODS
HCC tissue microarray containing 120-min tissues of 40 HCC cases was constructed. HBsAg, HBcAg, p21 and Rb proteins were immunohistochemically stained by streptavidin-peroxidase conjugated method (S-P). The expression loss of these genes in cancerous, para-cancerous tissues and adjacent normal liver tissues of 40 HCCs were comparatively examined.


RESULTS
The positive rate of HBsAg expression in cancerous tissues of 40 HCCs was 7.5%, which was lower than that in para-cancerous and adjacent normal liver tissues (chi2 =12.774, P < 0.01; chi2 = 18.442, P < 0.01). The positive rate of HBcAg expression in cancerous tissues of 40 HCCs was 20.0%, which was also lower than that in para-cancerous and adjacent normal liver tissues (chi2 = 9.482, P < 0.01; chi2 = 14.645, P < 0.01). p21 protein deletion rate in cancerous tissues of 40 HCCs was 27.5%, which was higher than that in para-cancerous and adjacent normal liver tissues (chi2 = 7.439, P < 0.01; chi2 = 11.174, P < 0.01). p21 protein deletion correlated remarkably with the pathological grade of HCC (chi2 = 0.072, P < 0.05). Rb protein deletion rate in cancerous tissues of 40 HCCs was 42.5%, which was also higher than that in para-cancerous and adjacent normal liver tissues (chi2 = 10.551, P < 0.01; chi2 = 18.353, P < 0.01). Rb protein deletion rate did not correlate remarkably with tumor size or pathological grade of HCC (chi2 = 0.014, P > 0.05; chi2 = 0.017, P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Expression deletion of HBsAg, HBcAg, p21 and Rb proteins in HCCs may play important roles in the carcinogenesis of HCC. Tissue microarray is an effective high-throughput technique platform for cancer research.
Liu
Kai
K
Division of Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases, Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Human Disease, Ministry of Education, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
Lei
Xue-Zhong
XZ
Zhao
Lian-San
LS
Tang
Hong
H
Liu
Li
L
Feng
Ping
P
Lei
Bing-Jun
BJ
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics*; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein / Q000235:genetics
C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein