title: Quantification of tumor DNA in serum and vascular invasion of human hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the common cancers worldwide. Accurate diagnosis of tumor progression is critical for the appropriate management of HCC. Here, we established a sensitive assay to detect and quantify tumor-derived DNA in the serum of HCC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Aberrant methylation of the APC gene was quantified in 23 HCC patients and 8 healthy volunteers using 100 µl of serum. For sensitive detection and accurate quantification of tumor DNA, we combined seminested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with TaqMan PCR, which could amplify the APC gene regardless of the methylation status and detect the methylated and unmethylated sequences separately. The ratio of methylated to unmethylated sequences was quantified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The methylated APC gene was detected in all HCC patients examined, but no healthy volunteers showed amplification of methylated sequences in serum. HCC patients with portal vein thrombosis showed a significantly higher methylated to unmethylated APC gene ratio in serum than those without portal vein thrombosis (p = 0.0029).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considering the strong association between the ratio of the methylated to unmethylated APC sequences in serum and the presence of portal vein thrombosis, methylation status of APC sequences could be a promising marker for improving HCC management.
authors: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, Osakasayama, Osaka, Japan. naoshi @ med.kindai.ac.jp
authors: Naoshi
authors: N
authors: Nishida
authors: Tadaaki
authors: T
authors: Arizumi
authors: Masahiro
authors: M
authors: Takita
authors: Tomoyuki
authors: T
authors: Nagai
authors: Satoshi
authors: S
authors: Kitai
authors: Norihisa
authors: N
authors: Yada
authors: Satoru
authors: S
authors: Hagiwara
authors: Tatsuo
authors: T
authors: Inoue
authors: Yasunori
authors: Y
authors: Minami
authors: Kazuomi
authors: K
authors: Ueshima
authors: Toshiharu
authors: T
authors: Sakurai
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Ida
authors: Masatoshi
authors: M
authors: Kudo
mesh_terms: D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein / Q000235:genetics*; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000473:pathology*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: C555337:APC protein, human; D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm