Objective: To study and clone novel liver cancer-related genes and to explore the molecular basis of hepatocarcinogenesis.
Methods: mRNA differential display polymerase chain reaction (DDPCR) was used to clone several gene fractions that were highly expressed in hepatocarcinoma tissues and not expressed or lowly expressed in paracarcinoma tissue. A full-length cDNA of one of such genes was obtained by screening the placenta cDNA library. The expression of this novel gene in 43 pairs of human hepatocellular carcinoma and paracarcinoma tissue was analyzed by Northern blotting.
Results: A full-length cDNA of liver cancer-related gene HCCA2 that was widely distributed in normal tissues and not expressed in liver tissue. The positive expression rate of this gene was 79% (34/43) in hepatocellular carcinoma tissue. Its expression was associated with the completeness of the tumor envelop and the expression of KI-67 PROTEIN (P < 0.01).
Conclusion: The novel gene HCCA2 may be related with the infiltration and proliferation of liver cancer.