U. Leonhardt et al., Circulating human hepatic lipase mRNA in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and healthy controls, EURO J SURG, 165(6), 1999, pp. 539-542
Objective: To evaluate circulating human hepatic lipase mRNA as an indicato
r of circulating hepatoma cells by transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction
(RT-PCR) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Design: Prospective study
Setting: University hospital, Germany.
Subjects: 15 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and 8 healthy volunteer
s.
Interventions: Peripheral venous blood was obtained and total RNA was extra
cted from the lymphocytic layer by caesium chloride gradient centrifugation
. The mRNA was reverse transcripted, and hepatic lipase cDNA was amplified
by hepatic Lipase specific primers with PCR. The integrity of isolated RNA
was confirmed by RT-PCR with beta-actin specific primers. Amplificates were
visualised by agarose gel electrophoresis and ethidium bromide staining.
Main outcome measures: Detection of hepatic-lipase-specific RT-PCR products
in peripheral blood.
Results: Circulating hepatic lipase-specific PCR products were detected in
all patients with HCC and in all healthy controls.
Conclusion: Detection of circulating human hepatic lipase-mRNA by RT-PCR do
es not indicate metastasising HCC.