Figure 1.

miR-135a Is Upregulated in HCC Tumor with High FVII Expression

(A) Expression of miR-135a was compared between HCC tumors (T) and their contiguous normal regions (N). (B) HCC cell line Hep3B was treated with recombinant TF, FVIIa, or a PAR2 peptide agonist for 24 hr. The level of miR-135a was analyzed. (C) Hep3B cells were transfected with siRNAs for TF, FVII, or PAR2. Expression of miR-135a was examined after 24 hr. (D) Hep3B cells were transfected with mTOR siRNA. The level of miR-135a was evaluated after 24 hr. (E) (Left) Correlations between FVII and miR-135a levels in HCC and non-tumor counterparts were assessed. We grouped patients having higher FVII and miR-135a levels in the tumor than the normal region (+/+) with patients having lower FVII and decreased miR-135a (−/−). These cases were compared with those having negatively correlated levels of FVII and miR-135a (+/− and −/+). (Right) Tumor/normal ratio of miR-135a expression was compared using qRT-PCR in HCC tumors that had higher FVII levels than the adjacent normal region (FVII T > N) and those that had lower FVII than the normal region (FVII T < N). The data are presented as mean ± SD. Statistically significant compared with controls at *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001.