Authors: Chang H Ahn Eun G Jeong Sung S Kim Jong W Lee Sung H Lee Sung H Kim Min S Kim Nam J Yoo Sug Hyung Lee
Publish Date: 2007/10/13
Volume: 53, Issue: 5, Pages: 1395-
Abstract
Deregulation of apoptosis is involved in mechanisms of cancer development PUMA is a proapoptotic member of the Bcl2 family and mediates p53dependent and independent apoptosis The aim of this study was to investigate whether alterations of PUMA protein expression and somatic mutations of PUMA gene are characteristics of human hepatocellular carcinoma HCC We analyzed expression of PUMA protein in 20 HCCs using immunohistochemistry Also we analyzed mutation of the Bcl2 homology 3 BH3 domain of PUMA gene which is an important domain in apoptosis function of PUMA by singlestrand conformation polymorphism SSCP in 69 HCCs PUMA protein expression was detected in both HCC cells and nontumor hepatocytes in all of the 20 HCCs In 10 of these HCCs cancer cells showed higher PUMA expression than nontumor cirrhotic hepatocytes of the same patients whereas in the remaining 10 cancer cells and nontumor hepatocytes showed similar levels Mutational analysis revealed no PUMA BH3 domain mutation in the 69 HCCs suggesting that PUMA BH3 domain mutation is not a direct target of inactivation in hepatocellular cancer development The increased expression of PUMA in malignant hepatocellular cells relative to that in nontumor hepatocytes suggests that PUMA expression may play a role in HCC development
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