Expression of microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 in human hepatocelluar carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to evaluate the expression of microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues.


METHODS
Forty surgically resected HCC tissues with adjacent non-tumorous liver tissues and 14 surgically resected, histologically normal liver tissues were used. The immunohistochemical expressions of the mPGES-1 protein in these HCC tissues and normal control livers were analysed. mPGES-1 mRNA expression was also analysed by the real-time polymerase chain reaction method using the same tissues.


RESULTS
Microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 was not expressed in hepatocytes but instead in vascular endothelial cells and bile duct epithelial cells in normal liver tissues. The mPGES-1 expression in HCC tissues was significantly greater than its expression in the non-tumorous tissues. All types of HCC expressed more mPGES-1 than normal or hepatitis livers, and the levels of mPGES-1 expression in poorly differentiated HCC were similar to the levels in well-differentiated HCC. The mPGES-1 mRNA expression paralleled its protein expression in these tumorous and non-tumorous tissues.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study is the first to demonstrate a high expression of mPGES-1 in well-differentiated HCC as well as in poorly differentiated HCC. These findings suggest that mPGES-1 may play a role in the advanced as well as early stage of hepatocarcinogenesis.
Takii
Yasushi
Y
Clinical Research Center, NHO Nagasaki Medical Center, Omura, Nagasaki, Japan.
Abiru
Seigo
S
Fujioka
Hikaru
H
Nakamura
Minoru
M
Komori
Atsumasa
A
Ito
Masahiro
M
Taniguchi
Ken
K
Daikoku
Manabu
M
Meda
Yumi
Y
Ohata
Kazuyuki
K
Yano
Koji
K
Shimoda
Shinji
S
Yatsuhashi
Hiroshi
H
Ishibashi
Hiromi
H
Migita
Kiyoshi
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000071876:Prostaglandin-E Synthases; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases; C000605862:PTGES protein, human; D000071876:Prostaglandin-E Synthases