Profiling of differentially expressed genes in human Gastric carcinoma by cDNA expression array

AIM: To investigate the expression of cancer relatedgenes in gastric carcinoma (GC) through the use of AtlasHuman Cancer Array membranes with 588 well-characterized human genes related to cancer and tumorbiology.METHODS: Hybridization of cDNA blotting membranewas performed with 32P-labeled cDNA probessynthesized from RNA isolated from gastric carcinomaand adjacent noncancerous gastric epithelial tissue.AtlasImage, which is a software specific to array, wasused to analyze the result.RESULTS: The differentially expression cell cycle/growth regulator in GC showed a stronger tendencytoward cell proliferation with 2.7-fold up-regulation ofCK1. The promoter genes of apoptosis were down-regulated, including caspase-8 precursor, caspase-9and caspase-10. Among the oncogene/tumorsuppressor genes, ABL2 was down-regulated. Inaddition, some genes were up-regulated, includingmatrix metalloproteinse 2(MMP-2), MMP-16(MT3-MMP), SKY, CD9 and semaphorin V. A number of geneswere down-regulated, including neuroendocrine-dlg(NE-dig), retinoic acid receptor gamma and tumorsuppressor DCC colorectal. In general, The expressionof the cancer progression genes were up-regulated,while the expression of anti-cancer progression geneswero down-regulated.CONCLUSION: Investigation of these genes should helpto disclose the molecular mechanism of the onset,progression and prognosis of GC. Several genes arereported herein to be altered in GC for the first time.The quick and high-throughout method of profiling geneexpression by cDNA array provides us with an overviewof key factors that may involved in GC, and may aid thestudy of GC carcinogenesis and provide moleculartargets for diagnosis and therapy. The preciserelationship between the altered genes and gastriccarcinogenesis is a matter for further investigation.