Expression and Clinical Significance of Transketolase Genes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of Transketolase genes in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)．Methods Transketolase activity was assayed in 42 cases HCC and their adjacent tissues. The clinicopathological implications of transketolase genes (tkt, tktl1 and tktl2) mRNA expression detected by RT-PCR were studied．Results Transketolase activity in HCC was significantly higher than that in their adjacent tissues (P＜0.05).The mRNA expression of tktl1 was significantly higher than that of tkt and tktl2 in HCC(P＜0.05). Tktl1 and tktl2mRNA expression in HCC was significantly higher than that in their adjacent tissues(P＜0.05).Tktl1 mRNA expression was related to tumor differentiation, portal vein cancer embolus, liver metastasis and 5-year survival (P＜0.05). Tktl2 expression was related to tumor differentiation degree(P＜0.05). Conclusion Transketolase was related to carcinogenesis, development and metastasis of HCC.The expression of tktl1 played an important role in the activity of Transketolase and contributed tumor differentiation, metastasis. tktl2 was a cooperation role in differentiation of HCC. They might be novel targets for therapy in HCC．