UMLS:C0019204 - FACTA Search

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Query: UMLS:C0019204 (hepatocellular carcinoma)
71,386 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In the present study, we used in situ hybridization to study 36 primary hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and 35 pancreatic adenocarcinomas to analyze the expressions of membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP), MMP-2, and MMP-9 mRNAs. In HCCs, MT1-MMP mRNA was mainly expressed by cancer cells and to a lesser extent by stromal cells. MMP-2 mRNA was expressed predominantly by cells of tumor stroma, whereas MMP-9 mRNA was seen mainly in neoplastic epithelial cells. In pancreatic adenocarcinomas, MT1-MMP and MMP-9 mRNA were seen at moderate levels both in cancer and in stromal cells, whereas MMP-2 mRNA was predominantly expressed by the tumor stroma. Antigens of MMP-2, MMP-9, and MT1-MMP immunolocalized to the neoplastic epithelium and to the stromal cells in both tumor types. In gelatin zymography, increased amounts of latent and active MMP-2 were found in tumor samples of HCC as compared with adjacent nontumorous liver tissue. On the other hand, the latent form of MMP-9 was found in almost equal amounts both in tumor and normal liver samples, but its active form was present only in HCC. Expression of MT1-MMP mRNA had a tendency to be associated with a lower degree of differentiation in HCC, but such association was not noticed in pancreatic tumors. Correlation to the clinical data showed that MT1-MMP expression had a strong statistical association with a poor outcome of patients (P < 0.01). A similar tendency was also observed in pancreatic adenocarcinomas, but the association did not reach statistical significance. MMP-2 and MMP-9 mRNA expression did not have significant correlation with prognosis. The results of this study support the previous suggestions of the importance of MT1-MMP for malignant growth and indicate that increased MT1-MMP mRNA expression by tumor cells in HCCs and pancreatic adenocarcinomas may have prognostic significance.
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PMID:Differential expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, and membrane type 1-MMP in hepatocellular and pancreatic adenocarcinoma: implications for tumor progression and clinical prognosis. 1091 17

Intrahepatic metastasis is one of the malignant features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA)/plasmin, are known to be associated with the invasive properties of various types of tumor cells. In this study, we examined which proteinases play a role in the metastatic invasion of human HCC cell lines. JHH-5 and JHH-6 cells constitutively expressed mRNAs for both membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) and u-PA and invaded through reconstituted MATRIGEL in vitro, whereas JHH-7 cells expressed u-PA mRNA but not MT1-MMP and did not invade. However, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) induced MT1-MMP expression on the surface of JHH-7 cells and markedly increased invasiveness of JHH-7 in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, cleavage activity for pro-MMP-2 was induced in HGF-treated JHH-7 cells. MMP inhibitor, rather than serine proteinase inhibitor, potently inhibited HCC cell invasion. Intrahepatic injection of HCC cell lines into athymic nude mice caused visible intrahepatic metastases in vivo. Moreover, JHH-7 tumors showed expression of MT1-MMP mRNA, while in vitro cultured JHH-7 cells did not. These findings suggest that MT1-MMP plays an important role in the invasive properties of HCC cells, and that HGF modifies the invasive properties of noninvasive HCC cells.
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PMID:Invasiveness of hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines: contribution of membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase. 1093 57

Thioredoxin (Trx) inhibited tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2 activity with an approximate IC50 of 0.3 microM, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 activity with an approximate IC50 of 2 microM but did not inhibit MMP-9 activity. This differential capacity of Trx to inhibit TIMP and MMP activity resulted in the promotion of MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity in the presence of molar TIMP excess. Inhibition of TIMP and MMP-2 activity by Trx was dependent upon thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), was abolished by Trx catalytic site mutation and did not result from TIMP or MMP-2 degradation. HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells induced to secrete Trx inhibited TIMP activity in the presence of TrxR. SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells secreted TrxR, which inhibited TIMP and MMP-2 activity in the presence of Trx. Trx stimulated SK-N-SH invasive capacity in vitro in the absence of exogenous TrxR. This study therefore identifies a novel extracellular role for the thioredoxin/thioredoxin reductase redox system in the differential inhibition of TIMP and MMP activity and provides a novel mechanism for altering the TIMP/MMP balance that is of potential relevance to tumor invasion.
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PMID:Thioredoxin alters the matrix metalloproteinase/tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase balance and stimulates human SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cell invasion. 1116 76

The liver undergoes pathogenic changes such as hepatitis, fibrosis and cirrhosis under continuous stimulation by hepatitis virus or alcohol intake, leading to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. The metastatic potential of HCC can be positively or negatively regulated by pathogenic alterations of liver. We investigated whether the metastatic abilities of HCC after orthotopic implantation can be influenced in the fibrotic liver by continuous injection of carbon-tetrachloride (CCl4) for seven weeks. The incidence of lung metastasis after orthotopic implantation of murine HCC (CBO140C12) fragments into CCl4-treated livers was higher than into normal livers. The amount of mRNA for MMP-2 increased in the CCl4-treated livers as compared with normal livers, and CBO140C12 cells constitutively expressed mRNA for MT1-MMP in early amplification cycles by RT-PCR. In addition, we found that the culture of CBO140C12 cells on the substrates pre-coated with ECM components increased the expression of MMP-2 mRNA. Thus, enhanced incidence of lung metastasis in the fibrotic liver might be partly due to: i) over-expression of MMP-2 in the fibrotic liver in cooperation with MT1-MMP on the CBO140C12 cell surface, ii) over-expression of MMP-2 in CBO140C12 cells, possibly mediated by the interaction of tumor cells (surface integrins) with accumulated ECM in the fibrotic liver. This is the first report showing that increase of MMP-2 in the fibrotic liver can influence the metastatic potential of HCC cells.
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PMID:Accumulation of extracellular matrix in the liver induces high metastatic potential of hepatocellular carcinoma to the lung. 1140 24

Autocrine motility factor/phosphohexose isomerase (AMF/PHI) is a cytokine that is linked to tumor invasion and metastasis. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues, hepatoma cells produce AMF/PHI and its receptor, Mr 78,000 glycoprotein (gp78), is strongly detected in hepatoma cells invading into the stroma and tumor thrombi in the portal vein. Here, we investigated the mechanism of hepatoma cell invasion through Matrigel induced by AMF/PHI using 3 hepatoma cell lines. Production of AMF/PHI, phosphorylation of MEK1/2, and Rho activity were investigated by immunoblotting. Expression of AMF/PHI and gp78 was observed by confocal fluorescence microscopy. The influence of AMF/PHI on activated integrin beta1 subunit expression was evaluated by flow cytometry. Changes in invasion, adhesion, and motility induced by AMF/PHI were evaluated using chemoinvasion, adhesion, and phagokinetic track motility assays. The effect of AMF/PHI on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) secretion was evaluated by gelatin zymography. Hepatoma cells produced AMF/PHI and expressed gp78. Although AMF/PHI was ubiquitously detected, gp78 was strongly expressed in migrating cells. AMF/PHI induced up-regulation of activated integrin beta1 subunit expression. AMF/PHI stimulated hepatoma cell invasion through Matrigel, and stimulated the adhesion, motility, and MMP-2 secretion of hepatoma cells. The latter effects were suppressed by the function-blocking antibody for integrin beta1 subunit. AMF/PHI also enhanced Rho activity and the phosphorylation of MEK1 and MEK 2. Our results indicate that AMF/PHI enhances hepatoma cell invasion through Matrigel in an autocrine manner by stimulating the adhesion, motility, and MMP-2 secretion of these cells through activation of beta1 integrins.
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PMID:Autocrine motility factor enhances hepatoma cell invasion across the basement membrane through activation of beta1 integrins. 1143 35

To analyze matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) mRNAs that are expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, the kinds of MMP mRNAs were surveyed in HepG2 and Hep3B cells and normal liver by a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction using two degenerate primer pairs, derived from conserved domains of known MMPs. The level for each MMP mRNA was examined by Northern blot analysis in HepG2 and Hep3B cells, as well as in normal tissues. It was also examined by a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis in 8 different hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. MMP-2, MMP-14, and MMP-15 mRNAs were expressed at elevated levels in most of the cell lines studied, reflecting that these MMPs would play an important role in the invasion and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma. MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-8, MMP-10, MMP-11, and MMP-13 mRNAs were also expressed in some or most of the cell lines. Interestingly, MMP-9 mRNA, as well as its polypeptide, was undetected in all of the cell lines studied. This implies that MMP-9, which was suggested as a tumor marker for hepatocellular carcinoma, would be expressed in stromal cells, rather than tumor cells. These results provide information for the basal levels of MMP mRNAs in various hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. It will also facilitate study on the transcriptional regulation of each MMP mRNA by oncogenes.
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PMID:Analysis of matrix metalloproteinase mRNAs expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. 1156 28

Intra-hepatic invasion is a key feature of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. We have shown that human liver myofibroblasts induce invasion of HCC cells through Matrigel, via the secretion of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). In our study, we investigated the role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) in HGF-induced HCC cells invasion. Marimastat, a synthetic MMP inhibitor, dose-dependently decreased HGF-induced invasion of HepG2 cells with a maximum of 82.7 +/- 13.3% at 20 microM. TIMP-2, a natural inhibitor, decreased invasion up to 51.2 +/- 11.2% at 200 ng/ml. To determine the target for these inhibitors, we examined MMP expression using RT-PCR. MMPs 1, 7-9 and 10 were not expressed in HepG2 cells either in the absence or in the presence of HGF. MMP-2 and MMP-13 transcripts were detected in unstimulated cells but their expression was unchanged after exposition to HGF. MMP-3 transcripts were undetectable in unstimulated HepG2 cells. They became clearly expressed in HGF-stimulated cells, however, and this was confirmed by Northern blot. By Western blot, HGF dose-dependently stimulated the secretion of pro-MMP-3 in the culture medium. The role of MMP-3 in HGF-induced invasion was directly confirmed by using an antibody to MMP-3, that blocked invasion. Finally, RT-PCR demonstrated MMP-3 expression in 10/16 human HCCs tested, but not in normal liver. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that MMPs, most likely MMP-3, mediate HGF-induced invasion of HCC cells. The in vivo expression of MMP-3 in HCC suggests a role for this protease in HCC progression.
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PMID:Involvement of matrix metalloproteinase type-3 in hepatocyte growth factor-induced invasion of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. 1177 58

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of proteases that degrade extracellular matrix components and are involved in tumor progression and metastasis. We studied the pattern of expression of MMP-2 by human hepatoma cell lines and human hepatic myofibroblasts and its regulation in co-culture between these cell types. MMP-2 expression was studied by zymography and semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The expression of MT1-MMP (involved in MMP-2 activation) was studied by Western blot analysis and RT-PCR and the secretion of TIMP-2 by ELISA and RT-PCR. Myofibroblasts expressed high levels of MMP-2, MT1-MMP and TIMP-2. The hepatoma cell lines HepG2, HuH7 and Hep3B did not express MMP-2 and weakly expressed TIMP-2 and MT1-MMP. In co-culture, no modulation of MT1-MMP or TIMP-2 expression was observed. A strong decrease in myofibroblast MMP-2 expression was seen in the presence of hepatoma cell lines. This was partly reproduced by their conditioned media. We conclude that hepatoma cell lines down-regulate the expression of MMP-2 by myofibroblasts.
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PMID:Hepatocarcinoma cell lines down-regulate matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression in human hepatic myofibroblasts. 1201 89

The prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still remains dismal, although many advances in its clinical study have been made. It is important for tumor control to identify the factors that predispose patients to death. With new discoveries in cancer biology, the pathological and biological prognostic factors of HCC have been studied quite extensively. Analyzing molecular markers (biomarkers) with prognostic significance is a complementary method. A large number of molecular factors have been shown to associate with the invasiveness of HCC, and have potential prognostic significance. One important aspect is the analysis of molecular markers for the cellular malignancy phenotype. These include alterations in DNA ploidy, cellular proliferation markers (PCNA, Ki-67, Mcm2, MIB1, MIA, and CSE1L/CAS protein), nuclear morphology, the p53 gene and its related molecule MD M2, other cell cycle regulators (cyclin A, cyclin D, cyclin E, cdc2, p27, p73), oncogenes and their receptors (such as ras, c-myc, c-fms, HGF, c-met, and erb-B receptor family members), apoptosis related factors (Fas and FasL), as well as telomerase activity. Another important aspect is the analysis of molecular markers involved in the process of cancer invasion and metastasis. Adhesion molecules (E-cadherin, catenins, serum intercellular adhesion molecule-1, CD44 variants), proteinases involved in the degradation of extracellular matrix (MMP-2, MMP-9, uPA, uPAR, PAI), as well as other molecules have been regarded as biomarkers for the malignant phenotype of HCC, and are related to prognosis and therapeutic outcomes. Tumor angiogenesis is critical to both the growth and metastasis of cancers including HCC, and has drawn much attention in recent years. Many angiogenesis-related markers, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF), thrombospondin (TSP), angiogenin, pleiotrophin, and endostatin (ES) levels, as well as intratumor microvessel density (MVD) have been evaluated and found to be of prognostic significance. Body fluid (particularly blood and urinary) testing for biomarkers is easily accessible and useful in clinical patients. The prognostic significance of circulating DNA in plasma or serum, and its genetic alterations in HCC are other important trends. More attention should be paid to these two areas in future. As the progress of the human genome project advances, so does a clearer understanding of tumor biology, and more and more new prognostic markers with high sensitivity and specificity will be found and used in clinical assays. However, the combination of some items, i.e., the pathological features and some biomarkers mentioned above, seems to be more practical for now.
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PMID:The prognostic molecular markers in hepatocellular carcinoma. 1204 56

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major cause of human liver disease, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The prognosis for HCC is largely dependent on the clinicopathological characteristics regarding invasion and metastasis. Enhanced matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression has been implicated as playing an important role in metastasis and invasion of HCC. However, the relationship between HBV infection and MMP-9 expression in HCC is currently poorly understood. We report here on a study of the levels of MMP-9 and MMP-2 expression in human fetal liver tissue, rat liver tissue, and Chang, HepG2, and Hep3B cells by gelatin zymography. Among these sources, Hep3B cells, which contain the integrated hepatitis B viral genome, continuously secrete the hepatitis B viral surface antigen, and express HBV genomic RNA, expressed high levels of proMMP-9, and a small amount of active MMP-9 was detected in Hep3B cells as assayed by zymography. We investigated the issue of whether HBV infection affects MMP-9 expression, which is known to play an important role in HCC invasion and metastasis. As a first step, human fetal hepatocyte (HFH) and HepG2 (HCC origin, HBV not detected) cells were subjected to infection with HBV, and the resulting infected cells successfully established are hereafter referred to as HFH-T2 and HepG2-HBV. The expression of MMP-9 was upregulated by the infected HBV in HFH-T2 and HepG2-HBV cells, as assayed by zymography, Northern blot, and Western blot analysis, and small amounts of active MMP-9 were detected in HFH-T2 and HepG2-HBV cells as assayed by zymography. The activation of the immature proMMP-9 to the mature MMP-9 could be induced by plasmin treatment. The activation of proMMP-9 was increased to a greater extent with plasmin treatment than without plasmin in HFH-T2 and HepG2-HBV cells but the addition of recombinant TIMP-1 inhibited the activation of proMMP-9. Finally, the addition of plasmin to the invasion assay using Matrigel resulted in an increase in invasiveness of HFH-T2 and HepG2-HBV cells, as well as MMP-9 activation, but the treatment with TIMP-1 inhibited the invasiveness of HFH-T2 and HepG2-HBV cells as well as MMP-9 activation. We conclude from these findings that HBV infection of hepatocytes and HepG2 cells affected the upregulation of MMP-9 expression and MMP-9 activation and, thus, increased the invasion potential by plasmin. To our knowledge, this is a first report showing that an HBV infection is linked to the upregulation of MMP-9 in HCC.
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PMID:Enhanced expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 by hepatitis B virus infection in liver cells. 1246 65

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