title: The tumor suppressor NPRL2 in hepatocellular carcinoma plays an important role in progression and can be served as an independent prognostic factor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatocarcinogenesis is a multifactorial, multistep process that involves the activation of oncogenes or the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes throughout the different stages of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. NPRL2 is one of the candidate tumor suppressor genes identified on chromosome 3p21.3, a region which frequently contains genetic abnormalities found in the early stages of the development of various human cancers. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate NPRL2 expression in HCC and to explore the prognostic significance of NPRL2.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated NPRL2 mRNA expression in 70 HCC specimens, using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis, and the correlation between NPRL2 expression and clinicopathologic parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NPRL2 mRNA was found to be expressed equally in both HCC tissues and corresponding non-cancerous liver tissues. However, higher NPRL2 expression correlated significantly with tumor size (P = 0.0062) and serum PIVKA-II levels (P = 0.0002). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that higher NPRL2 mRNA expression was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (risk ratio 0.39; P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that NPRL2 mRNA expression has prognostic significance for the survival of patients with HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery II, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan. satoshi@aa.cyberhome.ne.jp
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Otani
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Suguru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakakima
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nomoto
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kasuya
authors.forename: Naohito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kanazumi
authors.forename: Tetsurou
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagasaka
authors.forename: Akimasa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakao
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood; D011516:Prothrombin; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C492816:NPRL2 protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; C008208:acarboxyprothrombin; D011516:Prothrombin