Gene expression analysis of human hepatocellular carcinoma by using full-length cDNA library.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been shown to cause hepatic carcinogenesis. A total 58,251 of cDNA clones of full-length cDNA libraries of HBV and HCV-infected HCC and their surrounding non-tumor tissues, respectively, were sequenced and analyzed by blasting against GENEBANK maintained by NCBI. About 180 and 279 of genes were shown an obviously increased and decreased expression patterns between HCC tissue and its adjacent non-tumor tissue. The candidate genes consisted of the genes encoded liver specific metabolism enzymes, secretory functional proteins, proteases and their inhibitors, protein chaperon, cell cycle components, apoptosis-related proteins, transcriptional factors, and DNA binding proteins. Several genes were further investigated by using real-time PCR to confirm the gene expression levels in at least 24 pairs of HCC tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues. The results showed that genes encoded reticulon 4, RGS-1, antiplasmin, and kallikrein B were down-regulated with the average of 2.8, 8.5, 3.2, and 10.5-fold, respectively. Our results provide crucial candidate genes to develop clinical diagnosis and gene therapy of HCC.

Identification of differentially expressed genes in clear cell renal cell carcinoma by analysis of full-length enriched cDNA library.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common malignancy in adult kidney, and accounts for 3% of malignancies worldwide with increasing incidence. Clear cell RCC (ccRCC) is the major type in RCC. Resection by surgery is the main treatment because the response of ccRCC to traditional therapies is very poor. To identify the tumor-associated genes for better understanding the molecular mechanism of ccRCC, the full-length enriched cDNA libraries of ccRCC and normal kidney tissues were constructed by the oligo-capping method. Nucleotide sequences of the cDNA libraries of ccRCC and normal kidney tissues were sequenced. From the sequence analysis of 19,425 and 12,400 clones of ccRCC and normal kidney tissues, 4356 and 3055 genes were identified, respectively. By comparing the gene-expression patterns of ccRCC and normal tissues, the up- or down-regulated genes were identified. Among these identified genes, the differential expression of annexin A2 and argininosuccinate synthetase genes were further confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analysis.

Hydraulic activity of cement mixed with slag from vitrified solid waste incinerator fly ash.

This study investigates the effects of the slag composition on the hydraulic activity in slag blended cement pastes that incorporate synthetic slag prepared by melting CaO-modified municipal solid waste incinerator fly ash. Two types of composition-modified slag were prepared for this study. First, fly ash was mixed with the modifier (CaO) at 5% and 15% (by weight) respectively, resulting in two fly ash mixtures. These mixtures were then melted at 1400 degrees C for 30 minutes and milled to produce two types of slag with different modifier contents, designated as C1-slag and C2-slag. These synthetic slags were blended with ordinary Portland cement at various weight ratios ranging from 10% to 40%. The synthetic slags presented sufficient hydraulic activity, and the heavy metal leaching concentrations all met the EPA's regulatory thresholds. The pore size distribution was determined by mercury intrusion porosimetry, and the results correlated with the compressive strength. The results also indicate that the incorporation of the 10% C1-slag tended to enhance the hydration degree of slag blended cement pastes during the early ages (3-28 days). However, at later ages, no significant difference in hydration degree was observed between ordinary Portland cement pastes and 10% C1-slag blended cement pastes. In the 10% C2-slag case, the trend was similar, but with a more limited enhancement during the early ages (3-28 days). Thus vitrified waste incinerator fly ash is a technically useful additive to cement, reducing the disposal needs for the toxic fly ash.