BACKGROUNDTo screen and identify differentially expressed genes among lung cancer tissues, paracancerous pulmonary tissues and some other kinds of tumor tissues using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) and cDNA Microarray.

METHODSOne cDNA chip was made by gathering clones of three differentially expressed cDNA libraries which came from BEP2D cell lines during three different malignant transformed phases. Then the clones were hybridizated with cDNA probes which extracted from 15 cases of lung cancer tissues, 5 cases of paracancerous pulmonary tissues and 24 cases of other 8 kinds of tumor tissues respectively.

RESULTSTwenty-six cDNAs were obtained which expressed higher in lung cancer tissues than that in paracancerous pulmonary tissues. Thirty-one cDNAs expressed remarkably higher in paracancerous tissues than those in cancer tissues. Compared with other 8 kinds of tumors, paracancerous tissues had 63 overexpressed cDNAs and lung cancer tissues had 87 overexpressed cDNAs.

CONCLUSIONSThe combination of SSH and cDNA microarray is rapid and effective for screening and identification of differentially expressed genes in different samples. It may be potentially useful for diagnosis of lung cancer to further study the differentially expressed genes among lung cancer tissues, paracancerous pulmonary tissues and other tumor tissues.