Identification of differentially expressed genes in primary varicose veins.

BACKGROUND: A number of changes in protein expression have been described in primary varicose veins, but the altered gene expressions in this disease are unknown. The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes in primary varicose veins. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total RNAs were isolated from two groups of greater saphenous veins (four primary varicose veins and three normal) and then were reverse transcribed into cDNAs. We used the differential display reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction technique to screen the differences in the mRNA expression profiles of the groups. RESULTS: We found that three cDNAs showed differences in expression patterns between normal and diseased saphenous veins. The cDNAs are prominently expressed only in patients with varicose veins. We identified that the cDNAs had significant similarities to the L1M4 repeat sequence of clone RP11-57L9, clone RP11-299H13, and Alu repetitive sequence of human tropomyosin 4 mRNA. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the screened cDNA clones are useful disease markers in the genetic diagnosis of primary varicose vein and that the L1 and Alu elements possibly participated in the development of primary varicose veins through their expression patterns in genes encoded with structural proteins, such as collagen, elastin, and tropomyosin. Further studies are required to elucidate the potential relationship between repeat sequences and primary varicose veins.