Nested polymerase chain reaction technique for the detection of Gpc3 and Afp mRNA in liver cancer micrometastases.

The incidence of liver cancer has gradually risen to a high level in China, and tumor metastasis occurs via multiple pathways. Alpha fetal protein (AFP) is the main biomarker of liver cancer micrometastases. A recent study showed that glypican-3 (GPC3), which is abundant in hepatoma cells, has promising specificity and could be used to determine the presence of malignant cells. The nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique is superior in experimental sensitivity. Using rat models of liver cancer in the current study, we utilized nested PCR to detect Gpc3 and Afp mRNA to determine their relationship with liver cancer micrometastases. The aim was to provide an experimental basis for clinical examination. We randomly assigned male Sprague-Dawley rats to sham and experimental groups. The experimental group constituted a liver cancer model induced by diethylnitrosamine, whereas the sham group was administered with an equivalent volume of normal saline. Gpc3 and Afp mRNA was detected using nested PCR. Analysis was performed to determine statistical significance. Compared with the sham group, the rates of occurrence of Gpc3 and Afp mRNA were significantly higher in the experimental group (P < 0.05). Compared with the total positive ratio of hepatoma cells examined by joint detection, the rates of occurrence of Gpc3 and Afp mRNA increased significantly in the four subgroups of the experimental group (P < 0.05). The use of nested PCR significantly improved sensitivity for the detection of Gpc3 and Afp mRNA in liver cancer micrometastases.