| Popis: |
The expression of laminin α chains including α1, α2 and α3, were examined in 12 cases of human liver and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by using semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Differential expression pattern of these three laminin α chains were shown. Laminin α1 was detectable in five out of the 12 cases but expressed only weakly, and showed no difference of expression between noncancerous liver and HCC. Laminin α2 was expressed in all cases predominantly in noncancerous liver tissue and down-regulated in HCC tissue, while laminin α3 was only weakly detected in noncancerous liver and up-regulated in HCC. Therefore, the changes in the laminin α chain expression in HCC may be related to the altered composition of extracellular matrices in HCC and the behavior of HCC cells. |
