Enhanced expression of S8, L12, L23a, L27 and L30 ribosomal protein mRNAs in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Differential display (DD) analysis using surgically resected human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and adjacent non-tumorous liver tissues was performed. We identified 5 cDNAs up-regulated in human hepatocellular carcinoma, encoding S8, L12, L23a, L27 and L30 ribosomal protein mRNAs. Northern blot analysis, using total RNAs from thirteen pairs of HCC and abjacent non-tumorous liver tissues demonstrated that these mRNA levels were up-regulated along with the histological grading of tumors. The expression of these mRNAs was also high in three human HCC cell lines (HuH-7, HepG2 and HLF), irrespective of the growth state. These results suggest that activation of these genes is an important manifestation of HCC phenotypes.