Different mRNA and protein expression of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 in benign and malignant prostate tissue

Comparing protein abundance and mRNA expression levels on a genomic scale

Attempts to correlate protein abundance with mRNA expression levels have had variable success. We review the results of these comparisons, focusing on yeast. In the process, we survey experimental techniques for determining protein abundance, principally two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass-spectrometry. We also merge many of the available yeast protein-abundance datasets, using the resulting larger 'meta-dataset' to find correlations between protein and mRNA expression, both globally and within smaller categories.

Retrovirus-mediated gene transfer of human endostatin inhibits growth of human liver carcinoma cells SMMC7721 in nude mice

AIM: To study the effect of human endostatin mediated by retroviral gene transfer on the growth of human hepatocarcinoma cell line SMMC7721 in nude mice.

METHODS: Human endostatin gene together with rat serum albumin signal peptide was transferred into human liver carcinoma SMMC7721 cells by retroviral vector pLncx to build a stable transfectant (SMMC-endo). PCR and Western blot analysis were used to verify the transfection and secretion of human endostatin gene in SMMC7721 cells. The endothelial cell proliferation assay in vitro was conducted to test the biological activity of the expressed human endostatin. The inhibitory effect of endostatin expressed by transfected SMMC7721 on the growth rates of tumor cells in vivo was observed. The mean microvessel density in the specimen was also counted.

RESULTS: PCR amplification proved that the genome of SMMC-endo cells contained a 550 bp specific fragment of endostatin gene. Western blot analysis confirmed the secretion of human endostatin gene in the conditioned medium of transfected SMMC-endo cells. The endothelial proliferation assay showed that the conditioned medium of SMMC-endo cells significantly inhibited the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells by 48%, significantly higher than that of SMMC-pLncx (10.2%, P < 0.01). In vivo experiments revealed that only in 3 out of 5 mice tumors were formed and the mean size of flank tumors from SMMC-endo cells was 94.5% smaller than that from the control SMMC-pLncx cells 22 days after tumor inoculation (P < 0.001). The mean microvessel density in tumor samples from SMMC-endo cells was only 8.6 ± 1.1, much fewer than that of 22.6 ± 4.5 from SMMC-pLncx cells (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION: Human endostatin mediated by retroviral gene transfer can inhibit human liver carcinoma cell SMMC7721 growth in nude mice.

Pathological characteristics, PCNA labeling index and DNA index in prognostic evaluation of patients with moderately differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To study the relationship between prognosis and pathological characteristics, proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling index (PCNA-LI) and DNA index (DI) in patients with moderately differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).

METHODS: 51 cases of moderately differentiated HCC were analyzed with respect to the relation between their clinical follow-up data and pathological characteristics. Meanwhile, PCNA-LI of HCC cells was detected by immunohistochemistry assay and DI was measured by Feulgen staining and automatic image analysis technique.

RESULTS: Patients with a single tumor nodule, less than 5 cm in diameter, no tumor emboli, no daughter nodules and necrosis had relatively better prognosis; patients with euploidy HCC had better prognosis than those with aneuploidy; among the aneuploidy patients those with DI < 1.5 had better prognosis than the cases with DI > 1.5; The higher the PCNA-LI, the worse would be the prognosis. The increase in DI was correlated with the increase in PCNA-LI, and both of them were correlated with the pathological changes of the tumor.

CONCLUSION: A composite analysis of the pathological characteristics of tumor tissue, DI and PCNA-LI might be useful in predicting the prognosis of HCC patients.