mRNA of MAGE genes as specific markers in detection of tumor cells in the peripheral blood of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To detect tumor cells in the peripheral blood of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by using the mRNA of the MAGE-1 and MAGE-3 genes as specific tumor markers. METHODS: Peripheral blood was obtained from 25 HCC patients and 20 healthy volunteers. The mRNA of the MAGE-1 and MAGE-3 genes in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was detected by nested RT-PCR. The MAGE-1 and MAGE-3 transcripts in the tumor tissues of these HCC patients were also detected by RT-PCR. RESULTS: Of the 25 HCC patients, MAGE-1 and MAGE-3 mRNA were positive in 44% (11/25) and 36% (9/25) of PBMCs respectively, and in 68% (17/25) and 56% (14/25) of HCC tissues respectively. In the PBMCs of the 25 HCC patients, 16 (64%) samples were detected to express at least one type of MAGE mRNA. MAGE mRNA were not detected in the PBMCs from the patients whose tumors did not express the MAGE genes, nor in the PBMCs from the 20 healthy donors. The positive rate of MAGE mRNA in the PBMCs was closely correlated with the TNM stages and the diameter of tumors, but there was no correlation between the positive rate of MAGE mRNA in PBMCs and tumor differentiation degree or serum alpha-FP level. Of 9 HCC patients whose serum alpha-FP was normal or slightly elevated (< 50 ng/ml), 6 were MAGE-1 and/or MAGE-3 mRNA positive in their PBMCs. CONCLUSION: MAGE-1 and MAGE-3 mRNA could be specifically detected with high percentage in the PBMCs of HCC patients by our method. They can be used as specific tumor markers for the detection of the circulating HCC cells, and the detection results may be helpful to evaluate the prognosis of HCC patients.

[Expression and clinical significance of hepatocellular cancer antigen genes in human hepatocellular carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of four hepatocellular cancer antigen (HCA) gene mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: The expression of HCA90, HCA519, HCA520, HCA587 mRNA was detected using RT-PCR in HCC tissues and the corresponding adjacent non-HCC tissues from 46 HCC patients, cirrhosis tissues from 10 samples and normal liver tissues from 10 samples. The relationship between positive expression rate of HCA gene and clinical and lab data was evaluated. RESULTS: Of 46 HCC tissues, HCA90, HCA519, HCA520 and HCA587 mRNA were detectable in 65.2%, 76.1%, 45.7% and 32.6%, respectively. At least one HCA gene mRNA was positive in 82.6% of HCC tissues. Only weak expression of HCA519 could be detectable in 6.5% of the corresponding adjacent non-HCC tissues. None of 10 samples of cirrhosis and normal liver tissues expressed any HCA gene mRNA. No correlation was found between the expression of HCA and clinical date such as age, sex, tumor size, tumor differentiation, serum alpha-fetoprotein level and hepatitis B virus infection or hepatitis C virus infection (P > 0.05). However, in some patients with normal serum alpha-fetoprotein (< 25 ng/L), specific expression of HCA genes was observed. CONCLUSION: HCA gene mRNA is expressed with a high percentage and specificity in hepatocellular carcinomas and their products are new potential promising targets for immunotherapy of HCC.