The expression of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in human hepatocellular carcinoma

Insulin-like growth factors (IGF), IGF receptors and IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) play an important role in cell growth and differentiation. The liver is the major source of IGF-1 and at least two IGFBPs (IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3). IGFBPs most often serve to attenuate the effects of IGF at the receptor level and thereby limit IGF-induced cell growth and differentiation. Although changes in IGFBP expression have been described during controlled liver growth such as hepatic regeneration following partial hepatectomy, there is limited knowledge of IGFBPs gene expression in uncontrolled growth or hepatocellular carcinoma. In the present study, we employed Northern blotting techniques to document the expression of IGFBP-1, 3 and 4 in normal human livers, cirrhotic and hepatocellular carcinoma tissues. The results revealed no differences in IGFBP-1, 3 and 4 mRNA levels between normal and cirrhotic tissues. However, the expression of all three IGFBPs mRNA were significantly down regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues. These findings are in keeping with IGFBPs playing an important inhibitory role in the development and/or growth of hepatocellular carcinoma in humans.