Expression and significance of RhoC gene in hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM:To investigate the expression of RhoC gene inhepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and to evaluate therelationship between RhoC gene expression and invasionand metastasis of HCC.METHODS:mRNA expression level of RhoC gene wasexamined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)in 25 cases of HCC and para-cancerous normalliver tissues.In addition,mutation of RhoC gene wasexamined by polymerase chain reaction-single strandconformational polymorphism(PCR-SSCP).RESULTS:The mRNA expression levels of RhoC in tumortissues were significantly higher than those in para-cancerousnormal liver tissues(1.8±1.1 vs 1.0±0.7,P<0.01).Themetastatic lesions outside of liver also showed significantlyhigher RhoC mRNA levels than corresponding tumor tissuesin liver(3.3±0.5 vs2.0±0.7,P<0.01).There were significantassociations between RhoC gene expression and certainclinical and pathological findings,including celldifferentiation,vein invasion,number of tumor nodes andmetastatic lesions.Mutation of RhoC gene was not foundby PCR-SSCP.CONCLUSION:The RhoC gene may be related to malignanttransformation and development of HCC and may play animportant role in the invasion and metastasis of HCC byoverexpression but not mutation.