Abstract |
Elevated serum ferritin levels, especially of the H subunit, accompany many clinical malignancies. By using the subtraction-enhanced display technique, we have recently isolated several cDNA clones which are over-expressed in rat hepatocellular carcinoma induced by diethylnitrosamine. One 830-base-pair clone was 88% similar to human ferritin-H cDNA and encoded a 182 amino acid protein which is 97% homologous to human ferritin-H chain. Hepatic mRNA levels of ferritin-H were increased markedly at the early stage of diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in the rat (6 weeks) and appeared more than 10-fold overexpressed as the tumour progressed. In contrast, hepatic ferritin-H mRNA remained constant during liver regeneration after a 70% partial hepatectomy. In situ hybridization showed that over-expression of ferritin-H was exclusively localized to preneoplastic foci, to tumour nodules and to tumour cells invading blood vessels. These findings suggest that ferritin-H is a highly conserved protein, its over-expression during tumour development is phenotypically correlated with tumour initiation and/or progression, and it is useful as an early marker for hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Authors | C G Wu, M Groenink, A Bosma, P H Reitsma, S J van Deventer, R A Chamuleau |
Journal | Carcinogenesis
(Carcinogenesis)
Vol. 18
Issue 1
Pg. 47-52
(Jan 1997)
ISSN: 0143-3334 [Print] England |
PMID | 9054589
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
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Chemical References |
- Carcinogens
- DNA, Complementary
- RNA, Messenger
- Diethylnitrosamine
- Ferritins
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Topics |
- Animals
- Base Sequence
- Blotting, Northern
- Carcinogens
- DNA, Complementary
(genetics)
- Diethylnitrosamine
- Ferritins
(genetics, metabolism)
- Liver Neoplasms, Experimental
(chemically induced, genetics, metabolism)
- Liver Regeneration
- Male
- Molecular Sequence Data
- RNA, Messenger
(metabolism)
- Rats
- Rats, Wistar
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