title: Elevated SHOX2 expression is associated with tumor recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  SHOX2 (short stature homeobox 2) is a crucial transcriptional regulator in several genetic disorders and has been demonstrated to be an excellent biomarker in the diagnosis and evaluation of lung cancer. However, its expression pattern and prognostic value for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression of SHOX2 gene and protein in HCC tissues and cell lines were evaluated by RT-qPCR and western blot. Impact of RNAi-mediated SHOX2 silence on the proliferation and invasion ability of Huh7 cell line in vitro was determined by CCK-8 assay and matrigel invasion assay, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Elevated expression of SHOX2 gene was significantly associated with higher incidence of tumor recurrence (n = 60, p = 0.001), absence of tumor capsule (p = 0.015), presence of tumor thrombi (p < 0.0001), and advanced TNM stage (p < 0.0001) of HCC. SHOX2 protein expression was more abundant in HCC cell lines compared with hepatic cell line (p = 0.001), which was associated with tumor recurrence (n = 40, p = 0.046). RNAi-mediated silence of SHOX2 expression significantly inhibited the proliferation (p < 0.001) and invasion (p = 0.006) of Huh7 cell line in vitro.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated SHOX2 expression was associated with HCC recurrence, probably by enhancing proliferation and invasion capability of cancer cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Tian
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Sheng-Yun
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Yi-Nan
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Shou-Xin
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Guang-Shun
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Meng-Chao
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jun-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C484664:SHOX2 protein, human