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. 1998 Dec;43(6):837–842. doi: 10.1136/gut.43.6.837

Differential expression of laminin receptors in human hepatocellular carcinoma

I Ozaki 1, K Yamamoto 1, T Mizuta 1, S Kajihara 1, N Fukushima 1, Y Setoguchi 1, F Morito 1, T Sakai 1
PMCID: PMC1727343  PMID: 9824613

Abstract

Background—Laminin receptors are involved in cell-extracellular matrix interactions in malignant cells that show invasion and metastasis. Hepatocellular carcinoma frequently shows early invasion into blood vessels, and intrahepatic and extrahepatic metastases. However, the role of laminin receptors in hepatocellular carcinoma is unknown. 
Aims—To examine the expression of mRNA for laminin receptors and their isoforms in hepatocellular carcinoma. 
Methods—The expression of several laminin receptors, including α1 integrin, α6 integrin and its isoforms α6A and α6B, β1 integrin and its isoforms β1A and β1B, and 32kD/67kDa laminin binding protein was examined in human hepatocellular carcinomas and non-cancerous liver tissues using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. 
Results—α6 Integrin, β1 integrin, and laminin binding protein showed notably increased expression in hepatocellular carcinoma, compared with non-cancerous liver tissue, although the α1 integrin did not show a significant change. Furthermore, β1B integrin, a splicing variant of β1 integrin, was overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma while the β1A integrin isoform did not show significant changes between hepatocellular carcinoma and surrounding non-cancerous liver tissue. 
Conclusions—The differential upregulation of laminin receptors and their splicing isoforms was shown in hepatocellular carcinoma, suggesting that certain laminin receptors and their isoforms may be involved in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. 



Keywords: laminin receptor; integrin α6β1; hepatocellular carcinoma

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Figure 1 .

Figure 1

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RT-PCR products of laminin binding protein (LBP), α1 integrin, α6 integrin, β1 integrin, and β-actin separated by 2% agarose gel electrophoresis. Lane 1: RT-PCR without reverse transcriptase. Lane 2: RT-PCR with reverse transcriptase. Lane 3: the products of lane 2 digested with a specific restriction enzyme based on the sequence data. 


Figure 2 .

Figure 2

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Densitometric semiquantification of the RT-PCR products showed association with the amount of RNA applied (A), and the number of PCR cycles (B). 


Figure 3 .

Figure 3

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Gene expression of LBP, α1 integrin, α6 integrin, β1 integrin, and β-actin in six representative samples of human liver tissue detected by RT-PCR. Identical lane numbers indicate that the tissue was obtained from the same patient with chronic liver disease and HCC. 


Figure 4 .

Figure 4

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Semiquantitative analysis of LBP, α1 integrin, α6 integrin, β1 integrin, and β-actin gene expression in normal liver (N, n=3), chronically diseased, non-cancerous liver (L, n=16), and HCC tissue (n=16) detected by RT-PCR. Data are presented as mean (SD). *p<0.05; **p<0.01; *** p<0.001. 


Figure 5 .

Figure 5

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(A) Representative expression of the α6 integrin isoforms, α6A and α6B, by RT-PCR from six patients. (B) The α6B:α6A ratio detected by densitometry in normal liver (N, n=3), chronically diseased, non-cancerous liver (L, n=16), and HCC (n=16). Values are presented as mean (SD). ***p<0.001. 


Figure 6 .

Figure 6

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(A) Representative expression of the β1 integrin isoforms, β1A and β1B, by RT-PCR from six patients. (B) Semiquantification of β1A and β1B integrin in normal liver (N, n=3), chronically diseased non-cancerous liver (L, n=16), and HCC (n=16). Data are presented as mean (SD). *p<0.05; **p<0.01. 


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