Xiao Yi, Kleeff Jörg, Guo Junchao, Gazdhar Amiq, Liao Quan, Di Cesare Paul E, Büchler Markus W, Friess Helmut
Department of General Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2004 Mar;19(3):296-302. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2003.03268.x.
Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) is the fifth member of the thrombospondin family of extracellular, calcium-binding proteins. It was initially isolated and characterized in cartilage tissue, where it is thought to contribute to the extracellular matrix composition and cell-extracellular matrix interaction. In the present study the expression of COMP was investigated in normal liver (n=19), liver cirrhosis (n=14) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; n=16) tissues, both at the mRNA and protein level.
By northern blot and western blot analysis, COMP was absent or rarely expressed in the normal liver and liver cirrhosis tissues, but significantly overexpressed in HCC tissue samples. The COMP mRNA overexpression in HCC was not related to the clinical stage or tumor grade. By in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry analysis, COMP mRNA and protein expression were localized within the cytoplasm of the tumor cells.
COMP is highly expressed within the tumor cells of HCC, suggesting that COMP might play a role in the pathophysiology of this disease.
软骨寡聚基质蛋白（COMP）是血小板反应蛋白家族中细胞外钙结合蛋白的第五个成员。它最初是在软骨组织中分离和鉴定的，据认为它有助于细胞外基质的组成以及细胞与细胞外基质的相互作用。在本研究中，对正常肝脏组织（n = 19）、肝硬化组织（n = 14）和肝细胞癌（HCC；n = 16）组织中的COMP在mRNA和蛋白质水平上的表达进行了研究。
通过Northern印迹和Western印迹分析，COMP在正常肝脏和肝硬化组织中不存在或很少表达，但在HCC组织样本中显著过表达。HCC中COMP mRNA的过表达与临床分期或肿瘤分级无关。通过原位杂交和免疫组织化学分析，COMP mRNA和蛋白质表达定位于肿瘤细胞的细胞质内。
COMP在HCC的肿瘤细胞中高度表达，提示COMP可能在该疾病的病理生理学中发挥作用。
