Objective To investigate the relationship between the expression of MAGE-1,SSX-1,and CTp11 mRNA in the peripheral blood of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) and the prognosis of these patients. [WT5”HZ]Methods The expression of the three genes in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was detected by nested RT-PCR,and a follow-up was carried out in 26 patients. Results Before OLT,the positive rate of MAGE-1,SSX-1 and CTp11 transcripts was 40.0% (14/35),37.1% (13 /34),and 31.4% (11/35),respectively in the PBMC samples of HCC patients;Sixty percent (21/35) of the PBMC samples were positive for at least one of the three gene transcripts. The follow-up of 26 patients showed that,the tumor recurrence/metastasis rate after OLT (75.0%) in 16 patients with positive preoperative PBMC samples of at least one gene transcripts was significantly higher than that of the other 10 patients who was negative preoperatively for gene transcripts (30.0%)( P = 0.043).Postoperative tumor recurrence or metastasis developed in 15 out of 20(75%) patients with persistently perioperative positive MAGE-1,SSX-1 and /or CTp11 transcripts in PBMC samples or swithing from negative to positive perioperatively,in contrast to no recurrence nor metastasis in the other 6 patients with the gene transcripts switching from positive to negative postoperatively,or negative perioperatively ( P =0.002). [WT5”HZ]Conclusions MAGE-1,SSX-1 and CTp11 transcripts may act as combined tumor-specific makers to detect tumor cells in the peripheral circulation of HCC patients,and the detection is valuable for selecting OLT candidates and predicting the postoperative prognosis.

OBJECTIVETo 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.

METHODSPeripheral 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.

RESULTSOf 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.

CONCLUSIONMAGE-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.

Antigens, Neoplasm ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; Humans ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; Melanoma-Specific Antigens ; Neoplasm Proteins ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics