Coronin-1C is a novel biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma invasive progression identified by proteomics analysis and clinical validation.
BACKGROUND
To better search for potential markers for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) invasion and metastasis, proteomic approach was applied to identify potential metastasis biomarkers associated with HCC.


METHODS
Membrane proteins were extracted from MHCC97L and HCCLM9 cells, with a similar genetic background and remarkably different metastasis potential, and compared by SDS-PAGE and identified by ESI-MS/MS. The results were further validated by western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry (IHC) of tumor tissues from HCCLM9- and MHCC97L-nude mice, and clinical specimens.


RESULTS
Membrane proteins were extracted from MHCC97L and HCCLM9 cell and compared by SDS-PAGE analyses. A total of 14 differentially expressed proteins were identified by ESI-MS/MS. Coronin-1C, a promising candidate, was found to be overexpressed in HCCLM9 cells as compared with MHCC97L cells, and validated by western blot and IHC from both nude mice tumor tissues and clinical specimens. Coronin-1C level showed an abrupt upsurge when pulmonary metastasis occurred. Increasing coronin-1C expression was found in liver cancer tissues of HCCLM9-nude mice with spontaneous pulmonary metastasis. IHC study on human HCC specimens revealed that more patients in the higher coronin-1C group had overt larger tumor and more advanced stage.


CONCLUSIONS
Coronin-1C could be a candidate biomarker to predict HCC invasive behavior.
Wu
Long
L
Department of Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University and Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuchang District, 430071 Wuhan, PR China.
Peng
Chun-Wei
CW
Hou
Jin-Xuan
JX
Zhang
Yan-Hua
YH
Chen
Chuang
C
Chen
Liang-Dong
LD
Li
Yan
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D040901:Proteomics
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; C072061:coronin proteins