Uniform expression of hepcidin MRNA in tumors differing in number, degree of differentiation, and vessel invasion, of hepatocellular carcinoma.

The present study evaluated the expression of hepcidin mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Samples of cancerous and non-cancerous liver tissue were taken from 40 patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy. Expression of hepcidin mRNA was evaluated by real-time PCR, and compared in tumors differing in their degree of differentiation, number of tumors, and vessel invasion. Hepcidin mRNA expression is uniformly suppressed in HCC. Hepcidin mRNA expression in noncancerous and cancerous tissues was 1991.8 (35.3–25187.4) and 62.6 (1.9–3185.8), respectively (P < 0.0001). There were no significant differences in hepcidin expression among tumors differing in their degree of differentiation, number of tumors, or vessel invasion.