Objective: To investigate lung carcinogenesis associated genes in human lung squamous cell carcinoma and malignant transformation of human bronchial epithelial cells induced by chemical carcinogens with cDNA microarray.
Methods: The gene expression patterns were detected in all specimens by cDNA microarray which representing 4 096 different human genes. The differences in gene expression among 6 cases of human lung squamous cell carcinoma tissues and 6 normal lung tissues were analyzed. The different gene expression patterns between the normal human bronchial epithelial cell lines (16HBE) and the malignant transformation of human bronchial epithelial cells induced by Benzo(a)pyrene metabolite BPDE (anti-Benzo(a)pyrene diol-epoxide,BPDE) and crystalline nickel sulfide were also studied by that method. The similar changed genes among those gene expression patterns were identified as lung carcinogenesis associated genes.
Results: Among the 4096 genes of cDNA microarrays, there were 171 genes expressed differently among lung cancer tissues and normal lungs, 143 genes expressed differently between BPDE transformed cells and normal 16HBE cell lines, 151 genes differed between nickel sulfide transformed cells and normal 16HBE cell lines. By comparing the gene expression profiles, there were 89 similar changed genes which might be associated with human lung carcinogenesis, 39 of which were up regulated: 6 oncogenes, 4 cell cycle control genes, 6 cell proliferation genes, 8 metastasis genes, 3 neuroendocrine genes, 1 drug-resister gene, 1 anti-apoptosis gene, 1 oxidative gene and other 9 genes. 50 genes were down-regulated: 7 tumor suppression genes, 11 DNA repair genes, 1 antioxidant genes, 3 GST family genes, 3 cell framework genes, 2 apoptosis induced genes, 5 signal conduction genes, 5 cytokines and their receptor genes, 7 metabolization genes, 1 cell matrix genes, and other 5 genes.
Conclusion: cDNA microarray can be applied to study gene expression profiles effectively and to screen human lung carcinogenesis associated genes.