title: Expression of matrilin-2 in liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: The recently described matrilin protein family is part of the extracellular matrix, their pathophysiological role as well as distribution in liver diseases, however, have not yet been studied. Considering that matrilins have been found to play role in cell growth and tissue remodeling, their possible involvement in carcinogenesis has been raised. The main objective of this study was to investigate the changes in matrilin-2 expression which is one of the main components of basement membranes. Thirty-five cases of surgically resected hepatocellular carcinomas, 35 corresponding surrounding liver tissues and 10 normal liver samples were used for the study. In 15 of 35 cases the tumor developed on the basis of cirrhosis. Matrilin-2 protein expression was detected in normal liver around bile ducts, portal blood vessels, while sinusoids were negative by immunohistochemistry. Cirrhotic surrounding tissue showed intensive matrilin-2 staining along the sinusoids. Tumorous neovasculature was found strongly positive by immunohistochemistry. No differences, however, were detected by morphometry regarding the amount of protein expression based on the grade of hepatocellular carcinomas. Real-time RT-PCR did not show significant differences in matrilin-2 mRNA expression between normal, cirrhotic and tumor samples. This suggests posttranslational modification of matrilin-2 manifesting in altered distribution in liver fibrosis. Our data indicate that matrilin-2 is a novel basement membrane component in the liver, which is synthetised during sinusoidal "capillarization" in cirrhosis and in hepatocellular carcinoma. This is the first report to describe the expression and distribution of matrilin-2 in human normal and cirrhotic liver as well as in hepatocellular carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Pathology, Semmelweis University, Ulloi út 93, H-1091 Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Erzsébet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Szabó
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Korpos
authors.forename: Enkhjargal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Batmunkh
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lotz
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holczbauer
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kovalszky
authors.forename: Ferenc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Deák
authors.forename: Ibolya
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kiss
authors.forename: Zsuzsa
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Schaff
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kiss
mesh_terms: D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D064235:Matrilin Proteins; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; C577541:MATN2 protein, human; D064235:Matrilin Proteins