Monitoring microarray-based gene expression profile changes in hepatocellular carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To find out key genes responsible for hepatocarcinogenesis and to further understand the underlying molecular mechanism through investigating the differential gene expression between human normal liver tissue and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).


METHODS
DNA microarray was prepared by spotting PCR products of 1 000 human genes including 445 novel genes, 540 known genes as well as 12 positive (housekeeping) and 3 negative controls (plant gene) onto treated glass slides. cDNA probes were prepared by labeling normal liver tissue mRNA and cancer liver tissue mRNA with Cy3-dUTP and Cy5-dUTP separately through reverse transcription. The arrays were hybridized against the cDNA probe and the fluorescent signals were scanned. The data obtained from repeated experiments were analyzed.


RESULTS
Among the 20 couple samples investigated (from cancerous liver tissue and normal liver tissue), 38 genes including 21 novel genes and 17 known genes exhibited different expressions.


CONCLUSIONS
cDNA microarray technique is powerful to identify candidate target genes that may play important roles in human carcinogenesis. Further analysis of the obtained genes is helpful to understand the molecular changes in HCC progression and ultimately may lead to the identification of new targets for HCC diagnosis and intervention.
Mao
Hong-Ju
HJ
DNA Chip group, State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China.
Li
Hong-Nian
HN
Zhou
Xiao-Mei
XM
Zhao
Jian-Long
JL
Wan
Da-Fang
DF
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis