With the improvement of high-throughput genomic technology such as microarray and next-generation sequencing over the last ten to twenty year, we have come to know that the portion of the genome responsible for protein coding constitutes just approximately 1.5%. The remaining 98.5% of the genome not responsible for protein coding have been regarded as 'junk DNA'. More recently, however, 'Encyclopedia of DNA elements project' revealed that most of the junk DNA were transcribed to RNA regardless of being translated into proteins. In addition, many reports support that a lot of these non-coding RNAs play a role in gene regulation. In fact, there are various functioning short non-coding RNAs including rRNA, tRNA, small interfering RNA, and micro RNA. Mechanisms of these RNAs are relatively well-known. Until recently, however, little is known about long non-coding RNAs which consist of 200 nucleotides or more. In this article, we will review the representative long non-coding RNAs which have been reported to be related to gastrointestinal cancers and to play a certain role in its pathogenesis.
Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/*genetics/*metabolism/pathology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/genetics/metabolism/pathology ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics/*metabolism

With the improvement of high-throughput genomic technology such as microarray and next-generation sequencing over the last ten to twenty year, we have come to know that the portion of the genome responsible for protein coding constitutes just approximately 1.5%. The remaining 98.5% of the genome not responsible for protein coding have been regarded as 'junk DNA'. More recently, however, 'Encyclopedia of DNA elements project' revealed that most of the junk DNA were transcribed to RNA regardless of being translated into proteins. In addition, many reports support that a lot of these non-coding RNAs play a role in gene regulation. In fact, there are various functioning short non-coding RNAs including rRNA, tRNA, small interfering RNA, and micro RNA. Mechanisms of these RNAs are relatively well-known. Until recently, however, little is known about long non-coding RNAs which consist of 200 nucleotides or more. In this article, we will review the representative long non-coding RNAs which have been reported to be related to gastrointestinal cancers and to play a certain role in its pathogenesis.
Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/*genetics/*metabolism/pathology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/genetics/metabolism/pathology ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics/*metabolism

Autophagy is a programmed cell degradation process that is involved in a variety of physiological and pathological processes including malignant tumors. Abnormal induction of autophagy plays a key role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We established a prognosis prediction model for hepatocellular carcinoma based on autophagy related genes. Two hundred and four differentially expressed autophagy related genes and basic information and clinical characteristics of 377 registered hepatocellular carcinoma patients were retrieved from the cancer genome atlas database. Cox risk regression analysis was used to identify autophagy-related genes associated with survival, and a prognostic model was constructed based on this. A total of 64 differentially expressed autophagy related genes were identified in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Five risk factors related to the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients were determined by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, including TMEM74, BIRC5, SQSTM1, CAPN10 and HSPB8. Age, gender, tumor grade and stage, and risk score were included as variables in multivariate Cox regression analysis. The results showed that risk score was an independent prognostic risk factor for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma ( HR = 1.475, 95% CI = 1.280-1.699, P < 0.001). In addition, the area under the curve of the prognostic risk model was 0.739, indicating that the model had a high accuracy in predicting the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. The results suggest that the new prognostic risk model for hepatocellular carcinoma, established by combining the molecular characteristics and clinical parameters of patients, can effectively predict the prognosis of patients.
Autophagy/genetics* ; Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology* ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/pathology* ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Prognosis

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; pathology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; MicroRNAs ; Neoplasm Metastasis

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; complications ; genetics ; pathology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; complications ; genetics ; pathology

Animals ; Apoptosis ; genetics ; Genes, p53 ; genetics ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; genetics ; pathology ; Rats ; Transfection ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of hTERT single nucleotide polymorphisms on the development and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

METHODSA total of 290 male patients were divided into hepatitis-induced primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) group (n%162), metastatic HCC group (n%22), and control group (n%106). hTERT gene was amplified and hTERT single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were tested in these subjects.

RESULTSSignificant differences were found in rs2853690 and rs10069690 distribution, but the difference in rs6554743 remained uncertain. The C and T alleles of rs10069690 and rs6554743 showed significant differences between the 3 groups; the carriers of non-T allele of rs10069690 had higher frequencies in both primary and metastatic HCC groups.

CONCLUSIONSome of the polymorphisms of hTERT may increase the risks of development and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; pathology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Risk Factors ; Telomerase ; genetics

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; pathology ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Genomics ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; genetics ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the mRNA and protein expressions of peroxiredoxin II (PrxII) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and their significance.

METHODSHCC was induced by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in 6 tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri chinensis). The expression levels of PrxII mRNA and protein were detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot on HCC tissues and on their surrounding liver tissues (para-HCC). Biopsied liver tissues were taken before the HCC induction (pre-HCC) from the same animals and from a group of blank controlled animals that served as controls. Liver biopsy specimens from 18 cases of human HCC and from 17 healthy human volunteers were studied using the same methods.

RESULTSThe mRNA and protein expressions of PrxII in tree shrew HCC tissues were significantly higher than those in para-HCC and pre-HCC tissues, and also higher than those in the liver tissues from the control animals (all P < 0.05). The expression levels of PrxII mRNA and protein in human HCC tissues were also significantly higher than those in their para-HCC tissues and in the human normal liver tissues (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONPrxII might play an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis and might be used as a molecular target for HCC prevention and treatment.

Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Liver ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peroxiredoxins ; genetics ; Tupaiidae

Adult ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; genetics ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics