Objective: To study on the expression and genomic imprinting status of IGF2 gene in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Methods: RT-PCR semi-quantitation analysis was used to test IGF2 in paired hepatocellular carcinoma and adjacent normal tissue. Restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to detect the imprinting status of IGF2. The relationships between the expression level of IGF2, its imprinting status, and clinical information were analyzed.
Results: The expression pattern of IGF2 was quite variable among the various HCC cases; the expression of IGF2 mRNA on cancer tissue was significantly higher than that on paired normal tissues (t=3.695); LOI was found in 11 HCC cases.
Conclusions: It is supposed that the enhanced expression of IGF2 gene was involved in the carcinogenesis of HCC; LOI of IGF2 may be a prophase manifestation of hepatocellular carcinoma