TY - JOUR
T1 - Transcription factor GATA-4 is abundantly expressed in childhood but not in adult liver tumors
AU - Soini, Tea
AU - Haveri, Hanna
AU - Elo, Jenni M.
AU - Kauppinen, Marjut
AU - Kyrönlahti, Antti
AU - Salo, Matti K.
AU - Lohi, Jouko
AU - Andersson, Leif C.
AU - Wilson, David B.
AU - Heikinheimo, Markku
PY - 2012/1
Y1 - 2012/1
N2 - Objective: Transcription factor GATA-4 is expressed in early fetal liver and essential for organogenesis. It is also implicated in carcinogenesis in several endoderm-derived organs. Hepatoblastoma (HB), the most common malignant pediatric liver tumor, has features of fetal liver including extramedullary hematopoiesis. We investigated the expression of GATA-4 and its purported target gene erythropoietin (Epo) in liver tumors and the role of GATA-4 in HB pathogenesis. Patients and Methods: Immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were used for liver samples from patients with HB or hepatocellular carcinoma. To further investigate the role of GATA-4 in pediatric liver tumors, we used adenoviral transfections of wild-type or dominant negative GATA-4 constructs in the human HB cell line, HUH6. Results: We found abundant GATA-4 expression in both types of liver tumors in children, whereas it was absent in adult hepatocellular carcinoma. A close family member GATA-6 was expressed in a minority of childhood but not adult liver tumors. Epo, present in the fetal liver, was also expressed in childhood liver tumors. Moreover, cell line HUH6 was GATA-4 positive and produced Epo. We found that altering the amount of functional GATA-4 in HUH6 cells did not significantly affect either proliferation or apoptosis. Conclusions: GATA-4 is abundant in pediatric liver tumors, but unraveling its exact role in these neoplasms requires further investigation.
AB - Objective: Transcription factor GATA-4 is expressed in early fetal liver and essential for organogenesis. It is also implicated in carcinogenesis in several endoderm-derived organs. Hepatoblastoma (HB), the most common malignant pediatric liver tumor, has features of fetal liver including extramedullary hematopoiesis. We investigated the expression of GATA-4 and its purported target gene erythropoietin (Epo) in liver tumors and the role of GATA-4 in HB pathogenesis. Patients and Methods: Immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were used for liver samples from patients with HB or hepatocellular carcinoma. To further investigate the role of GATA-4 in pediatric liver tumors, we used adenoviral transfections of wild-type or dominant negative GATA-4 constructs in the human HB cell line, HUH6. Results: We found abundant GATA-4 expression in both types of liver tumors in children, whereas it was absent in adult hepatocellular carcinoma. A close family member GATA-6 was expressed in a minority of childhood but not adult liver tumors. Epo, present in the fetal liver, was also expressed in childhood liver tumors. Moreover, cell line HUH6 was GATA-4 positive and produced Epo. We found that altering the amount of functional GATA-4 in HUH6 cells did not significantly affect either proliferation or apoptosis. Conclusions: GATA-4 is abundant in pediatric liver tumors, but unraveling its exact role in these neoplasms requires further investigation.
KW - GATA-4
KW - hepatoblastoma
KW - hepatocellular carcinoma
KW - transcription factor
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84855340453&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/MPG.0b013e31822d52cf
DO - 10.1097/MPG.0b013e31822d52cf
M3 - Article
C2 - 21788913
AN - SCOPUS:84855340453
SN - 0277-2116
VL - 54
SP - 101
EP - 108
JO - Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition
JF - Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition
IS - 1
ER -