microRNA Expression Profiles in Hepatocellular Corcionma and Adjacent Non-tumorous Tissues

Objective To investigate the microRNA expression profiles in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) and adjacent non-tumorous tissues. Methods The relative expression of 474 miRNA genes was determined using a human miRNA microarray.Target and reference samples were co-hybridized to a microarray containing whole human mature and precursor miRNA sequences. Results Compared with the corresponding adjacent non-tumorous tissue,one hundred and sixteen miRNAs including miR-181,miR-21 and let-7e in the array were found to be highly expressed and 97 miRNA including miR-199,miR-451 and miR-122 showed low levels of expression in hepatocelluar carcionoa tissue. Conclusion This study provides genomewide survey of human miRNA transcripts in HCC.It may help clarify the molecular mechanisms involved in the progression of HCC,potentially serving as a diagnostic tool of HCC.