IMPRINTED H19 ONCOFETAL RNA IS A CANDIDATE TUMOR-MARKER FOR HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA

Aims/Background-To study the expression of the H19 gene in hepatocellu lar carcinoma. H19 is an imprinted, maternally expressed gene, which i s tightly linked, both physically and functionally, to the paternally expressed insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF II). IGF II is known to be involved in Liver carcinogenesis. H19 was first discovered in the fet al mouse liver to be under the same regulatory genes as a fetoprotein (alpha FP), a widely used tumour marker for hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods-Using both radioactive and non-radioactive in situ hybridisati on, the expression of the H19 gene was compared with the presence of a lpha FP, as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry, in 18 cases of hepat ocellular carcinoma. Results-H19 expression was present in 13 of 18 ca ses, whereas staining for alpha FP was positive in only nine of 18 cas es. Concordance was found in 12 of 18 tumours (66.7%). In general, the staining pattern for H19 was more diffuse than the immunohistochemica l staining for alpha FP. Conclusions-The addition of a nonradioactive in situ hybridisation assay for H19 RNA to the panel of tumour markers used for the histopathological and cytological diagnosis of hepatocel lular carcinoma might be useful.