[Expression and significance of EGF mRNA and EGFR mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma]

Many evidences demonstrated that the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) subfamily played an important role in they initiation and progression of various cancers. But it is not clear whether there is a relationship between EGFR and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aims of the present study were to explore the expression and significance of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) mRNA and EGFR mRNA in human HCC tissues.

Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was employed to determine the expression of EGF mRNA and EGFR mRNA in 60 HCC tissues and their adjacent liver tissues.

The positive rate of EGF mRNA was significantly lower in the HCC tissue (60%, 36/60) than in the adjacent liver tissue (80%, 48/60) (P< 0.05). The positive rate of EGFR mRNA in the HCC tissue (60%, 36/60) was markedly higher than in the adjacent liver tissue (41.67%, 25/60) (P< 0.05). The expression of EGFR mRNA in the HCC tissue was significantly correlated with the clinical stage, the portal vein tumor thrombus, the presence of extrahepatic metastasis, and the recurrence of tumor, the number of tumor, but not correlated with the diameter of tumor, the level of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), the differentiation of tumor and the liver cirrhosis in the adjacent tissue. The detectable rate of EGF mRNA was correlated with the diameter of tumor but not correlated with the clinical stage, the portal vein tumor thrombus, the presence of extrahepatic metastasis, the recurrence of tumor, the number of tumor, the level of serum AFP, the differentiation of tumor and the liver cirrhosis in the adjacent tissue.

EGF may not be involved in the initiation and progression of HCC, whereas, EGFR relates to the initiation and progression and the recurrence of HCC. EGFR can be considered as a marker for predicting the metastasis and recurrence of HCC.