Background and Objectives: In the process of tumor invasion, cancer cells secrete enzymes including heparanase that degrade extracellular matrices and basement membranes of blood vessels. In the present study, the. clinical importance of enhanced expression of heparanase messenger RNA (mRNA) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was evaluated.
Methods: Fresh tumor and noncancerous liver tissue adjacent to a tumor were obtained from 50 patients with HCC immediately after hepatic resection. The expression levels of heparanase mRNA were analyzed quantitatively, using the real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method, and were compared with clinicopathological findings.
Results: Relative heparanase mRNA expression level in HCC was significantly lower than that of noncancerous liver tissue (P < 0.001). Tumor heparanase expression did not correlate with tumor differentiation, tumor stage, or patient prognosis.
Conclusions: Enhanced heparanase mRNA expression may not be a good biological marker in HCC. (C) 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.