Application of mRNA differential display to liver cirrhosis: reduced fetuin expression in biliary cirrhosis in the rat.

We here show the application of mRNA differential display to investigate changes in gene expression in rat liver cirrhosis and address problems inherent in the technique when applied to this complex disease model. A number of differentially expressed mRNA species could be identified and two were analyzed in more detail here. One was found to derive from a new gene while the other corresponded to fetuin, a 41 kDa N-glycoprotein that specifically inhibits tyrosine kinase activity of the insulin receptor when phosphorylated. Fetuin expression was reduced by 45% in liver cirrhosis induced by bile duct ligation, but not in cirrhosis induced by carbon tetrachloride/Phenobarbital, as compared to controls. Our results raise the possibility that fetuin plays a regulatory role in the proliferation of parenchymal liver cells.