原发性肝癌中RUNX3的表达及其临床意义

目的 探讨RUNX3在原发性肝细胞癌巾的表达及其临床意义.方法 提取肝组织样本的总RNA(包括65例手术切除的肝癌组织及其对应的癌旁组织,6株肝癌细胞株及1株正常肝细胞株),应用实时荧光定量RT-PCR方法 检测标本中RUNX3 mRNA的表达水平,并经Western blot法验证.结果 (1)对照组(癌旁组织)RUNX3 mRNA表达量为肝癌组(癌组织)的4.2倍.41例(63.08%)肝癌组织中的RUNX3 mRNA表达水平比对照组织显著下调:下调8倍以上者17例,下调4倍以上者21例,下调2倍以上者3例.(2)66.67%(4/6)肝癌细胞株RUNX3 mRNA表达水平较正常肝细胞株明显下调.(3)RUNX3在蛋白水平和mRNA水平变化趋势基本一致.(4)在肝癌组织中 RUNX3的表达与患者肝硬化(P=0.028)及组织分型(P＜0.001)相关.结论 RUNX3基因的缺失或低表达可能在肝细胞癌发生、发展过程中起一定作用.

The expression of RUNX3 in hepatocellular carcinoma and its clinical significance

Objective：To quantitatively detect the expression level of RUNX3 in human primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by real-time fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR, and assess its relationship with the clinicopathological features of the disease.
Methods：Total RNA isolated from samples, including sixty-five HCC, adjacent liver tissues, six human liver cancer cell lines and a human normal liver cell line, were reversed into cDNA. Real-time fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR method was used to analyze the expression level of RUNX3 gene. All the quantitative results were confirmed by Western blotting.
Results：The expression of RUNX3 mRNA  was 4.2-fold lower in HCC tissues than in adjacent liver tissues (P<0.001), 8-fold lower in 18 HCC tissues,4-fold lower in 21 HCC tissues and 2-fold lower in 3 HCC tissues. A signicficant down-regulation of RUNX3 mRNA was found in 66.67%(4/6）of liver tumor cell lines. Furthermore, Western blot analysis showed that there was also significant difference in RUNX3 protein expression between the HCC and adjacent liver tissues, which was in accordant with the results of quantitative RT-PCR analysis of RUNX3 mRNA levels. Lower expression showed significant correlation to cirrhosis (P=0.028) and histologic type of HCC (P=0.000).
Conclusions：The expression of RUNX3 is decreased in HCC. The RUNX3 gene may play an important role in the development of HCC.