Liver Cirrhosis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Liver Cirrhosis, including details on alcohol, treatment, drugs, effects, causes.

The quantification of cytochrome P-450 (CYP 3A4) mRNA in the blood of patients with viral liver diseases.

Horiike N, Abe M, Kumagi T, Hiasa Y, Akbar SM, Michitaka K, Onji M

Third Department of Internal Medicine, Ehime University School of Medicine, Ehime 791-0295, Japan.

OBJECTIVE: We quantified cytochrome P-450 (CYP) 3A4 mRNA in the blood and liver of patients with viral liver diseases to determine whether CYP 3A4 expression is related to disease progression. DESIGN AND METHODS: Total RNA was extracted from 10 mL of blood from 12 normal volunteers, from 6 patients with acute hepatitis, 17 with chronic hepatitis, 12 with liver cirrhosis, and 16 with hepatocellular carcinoma. Total RNA from 1 mg of liver tissue was extracted simultaneously in 10 patients. CYP 3A4 mRNA was quantified by competitive reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and expressed as log copies/microliter. RESULTS: The CYP 3A4 mRNA titer in blood correlated with that of the liver (r = 0.65, P < 0.05). The CYP 3A4 mRNA titer was 1.6 +/- 0.4 in normal controls, 1.0 +/- 0.5 in acute hepatitis, 0.7 +/- 0.2 in chronic hepatitis, 0.5 +/- 0.2 in liver cirrhosis, 0.5 +/- 0.2 in hepatocellular carcinoma, and decreased with progression of liver disease (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the CYP 3A4 mRNA level in blood relates to progression of liver disease.

Published 11 May 2005 in Clin Biochem, 38(6): 531-4.
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