Expression And Clinical Significance Of RUNX3 And DNMT1 MRNA In Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of Runt-related transcription factor 3 gene (Runx3) and DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1) in primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Reverse transcription-Polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)was used to detect Runx3 mRNA and Dnmt1 mRNA expression level of samples of primary hepatocellular carcinoma and corresponding para-cancer tissue,which were obtained from surgically resection specimens of 43 patients. Results RT-PCR showed that the expression of Runx3 in hepatocellular carcinoma was significantly lower than that in corresponding para-cancer tissue (0.2148±0.0987 vs 0.6013±0.1965, P<0.05), the expression of Dnmt1 in hepatocellular carcinoma was higher than that in corresponding para-cancer tissue(0.7425±0.4331 vs 0.4911±0.1897, P<0.05). The depression of Runx3 was correlated with pathologic differentiation degree (P<0.05). The depression of Dnmt1 was correlated with vein tumor thrombus, TNM stage and pathologic differentiation degree (P<0.05). The relationship between Runx3 and Dnmt1 expression is significant( r=-0.2059, P<0.05). Conclusion The down-regulated expression of Runx3 gene in human hepatocellular carcinoma suggest that Runx3 gene may play an important role in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma.The up-regulated expression of Dnmt1 participates to a certain extent degree in the inactivation of Runx3 expression.