title: A genetic database can be utilized to identify potential biomarkers for biphenotypic hepatocellular carcinoma-cholangiocarcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Biphenotypic hepatocellular carcinoma-cholangiocarcinoma (HCC-CC) is an uncommon primary liver neoplasm. Due to limitations in radiologic imaging for the diagnosis of this condition, biopsy is a common method for diagnosis, which is invasive and holds potential complications. To identify alternative means for obtaining the diagnosis and assessing the prognosis of this condition, we evaluated biomarkers for biphenotypic HCC-CC using a genetic database.
  
  
  METHODS
  To evaluate the genetic associations with each variable we utilized GeneCards(®), The Human Gene Compendium (http://www.genecards.org). The results of our search were entered into the Pathway Interaction Database from the National Cancer Institute (PID-NCI) (http://pid.nci.nih.gov), to generate a biomolecule interaction map.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of our query yielded 690 genes for HCC, 98 genes for CC and 50 genes for HCC-CC. Genes depicted in this analysis demonstrate the role of hormonal regulation, embryonic development, cell surface adhesion, cytokeratin stability, mucin production, metalloproteinase regulation, Ras signaling, metabolism and apoptosis. Examples of previously described markers included hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), mesenchymal epithelial transition (MET) and Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS). Novel markers included phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase, catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA), GPC3, choline kinase alpha (CHKA), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), myeloid cell leukemia 1 (MCL1) and N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GeneCards is a useful research tool in the genetic analysis of low frequency malignancies. Utilizing this tool we identified several biomarkers are methods for diagnosing HCC-CC. Finally, utilizing these methods, HCC-CC was found to be predominantly a subtype of CC.
authors: Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, Mount Laurel, NJ, USA.
authors: Shaffer R S
authors: SR
authors: Mok
authors: Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, Mount Laurel, NJ, USA.
authors: Sachin
authors: S
authors: Mohan
authors: Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, Mount Laurel, NJ, USA.
authors: Navjot
authors: N
authors: Grewal
authors: Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, Mount Laurel, NJ, USA.
authors: Adam B
authors: AB
authors: Elfant
authors: Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, Mount Laurel, NJ, USA.
authors: Thomas A
authors: TA
authors: Judge
keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); biomarker; cholangiocarcinoma (CC); genetic; hepatocellular carcinoma-cholangiocarcinoma (HCC-CC)