These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: The gene expression level of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) as a biological prognostic marker of hepatocellular carcinoma.
    Author: Ikeguchi M, Iwamoto A, Taniguchi K, Katano K, Hirooka Y.
    Journal: J Exp Clin Cancer Res; 2005 Sep; 24(3):415-21. PubMed ID: 16270528.
    Abstract:
    The question that transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) provides a tumor-suppressive or a tumor promoting role is still unknown in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, we quantitatively investigated the gene expression levels of TGF-beta in liver tissues from patients with HCC. We also evaluated the prognostic importance of TGF-beta gene in HCC patients. A total of 59 patients with primary HCC who underwent hepatectomy between 1993 and 2001 were enrolled. TGF-beta gene expression levels of tumors and of noncancerous livers were analyzed by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The percentage of apoptotic cells in tumor cells (apoptotic index: AI) was evaluated with immunohistochemistry. Also the expression of survivin protein (apoptosis inhibitor) in tumors was detected by immunohistochemistry. TGF-beta gene expression levels of tumors were compared with clinicopathological findings of patients. The relative expression level of TGF-beta mRNA of 59 tumor tissues did not differ from those of 8 normal liver tissues or 59 noncancerous liver tissues. The mean AI of 29 tumors with normal expression levels of TGF-beta gene (4%) was significantly higher than that of 30 tumors with low expression levels of TGF-beta gene (2.5%, p = 0.03). Thirteen out of 30 tumors (43%) with low expression level of TGF-P gene showed survivin positive, while only 4 out of 29 tumors (14%) with preserved expression of TGF-beta gene showed survivin positive. This difference was significant (p = 0.012). The overall 5-year survival rate of 29 patients with tumors with preserved TGF-beta gene prolonged to 72% compared with that of 30 patients who had tumors with suppressed TGF-beta gene (58%, p = 0.156). In HCC, TGF-beta gene may play a defensive role against tumor progression by regulating survivin protein expression and by controlling occurrence of spontaneous apoptosis in tumors.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]