title: Expression of common housekeeping genes is affected by disease in human hepatitis C virus-infected liver.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Comparative gene expression is commonly determined with reference to the expression of a housekeeping gene (HKG), the level of which is assumed to be unregulated. There are little data to date on the effect of disease on the expression of classic HKGs in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected human liver.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identity HKGs stable across a wide spectrum of disease in human HCV-infected liver.
  
  
  METHODS
  β-Actin, hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase 1 (HPRT1), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), splicing factor arginine/serine-rich 4, β-glucuronidase and 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction in liver biopsy tissue. Samples were categorised for inflammation, fibrosis and steatosis, and allocated into groups with mild or severe liver disease. Values were analysed using Spearman's rank correlation, NormFinder, BestKeeper and geNorm programs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All genes performed well in the samples of patients with low disease activity, but HPRT1, β-actin, GAPDH and 18S rRNA ranked poorly in samples with severe fibrosis or inflammation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that liver disease affects the expression of common HKGs and that β-glucuronidase and splicing factor arginine/serine-rich 4 are the most stable HKGs from this group for studies of gene expression in HCV-infected human liver.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Fitzroy, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Congiu
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Slavin
authors.forename: Paul V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Desmond
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D020043:Genes, Essential; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016174:Hepacivirus; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000068103:Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C081934:SRSF4 protein, human; D000068103:Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors; D005966:Glucuronidase