Stc2 Gene Expression In Primary Liver Cancer

OBJECTIVE: To study the expression of STC2 gene in primary liver cancer(PLC) tissues and the its relationship with proliferation of PLC. To identify new secreted biomarkers for diagnosis and estimation of prognosis in PLC.METHODS: We found the difference of STC2 gene in the HCC samples by the screening of the genetic chip. So, we further investigated the expression of STC2 through RT-PCR and real-time PCR in normal human tissues and 47 pairs of PLC and adjacent non-cancerous liver tissues(non-PLC). STC2 gene was silenced in liver cancer cells by using RNA interference technology. The entire open reading frame (ORF) of human STC2 gene was transfected into liver cancer cells by pcDNA3.1/MycHis(-)B vector. The cell growth and colony formation were observed as the silencing and overexpression of STC2 gene.RESULTS: In 15 kinds of normal human tissues, the expression of STC2 was the most lowest at the mRNA level. However, the mRNA of STC2 was significantly up-regulated in 68.09%(32/47) PLC specimens compared with non-PLC. The silencing of STC2 gene in liver cancer cells markedly inhibited the cell growth, weakened the ability of colony formation. But, the growth effect of liver cancer cells is just right opposite after overexpression of STC2. The statistical discrepancy (P=0.1514) between STC2 and AFP is not obvious for diagnosing PLC.CONCLUSIONS: STC2 may be a novel oncogene in PLC. Further investigation of its function may help to find the new mechanism for PLC tumorigenesis. STC2 may become a new candidate target in PLC treatment, and a prognostic marker in PLC diagnosis.