title: The response of Golgi protein 73 to transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma may relate to the influence of certain chemotherapeutics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Golgi protein 73 (GP73) is a promising biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It decreases after surgical resection, and resumes upon recurrence, indicating a potential indicator for the effectiveness of the treatment. But changes of GP73 after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) have not been reported so far. This study was to investigate the dynamic changes of GP73 in HCC patients after TACE treatment, and the possible underlying mechanisms in the cell cultures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples were collected from 72 HCC patients, before TACE, at day 1 and day 30 after TACE. GP73 levels were measured by Western blotting. The dynamic changes of GP73 were analyzed and compared with image changes and clinical data. The effects of chemotherapeutic agents (5-FU and pirarubicin) on GP73 expression were tested in three HCC cell lines (HepG2, HCCLM3 and MHCC97H).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The GP73 level was significantly elevated at day 1 and day 30 after TACE in HCC patients compared with that before the procedure (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference between the two time points after TACE, nor correlation between GP73 levels and clinicopathological features, tumor metastasis, and patient survival. Pirarubicin, not 5-FU, significantly increased GP73 expression in three cell lines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unlike surgical resection which decreases the GP73 level, TACE significantly increased GP73 expression in patients with HCC. No correlations were observed among GP73 levels, tumor characteristics and prognosis of patients with HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China. yileimao@126.com.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Ye-Fan
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hua-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hai-Feng
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Xin-Ting
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Sang
authors.forename: Shou-Xian
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Yi-Lei
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Mao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C410824:GOLM1 protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D004317:Doxorubicin; C027260:pirarubicin; D005472:Fluorouracil