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

• Published in: Clinical biochemistry 2005-06, Vol.38 (6), p.531-534
• Main Authors: Horiike, Norio, Abe, Masanori, Kumagi, Teru, Hiasa, Yoichi, Fazle Akbar, S.M., Michitaka, Kojiro, Onji, Morikazu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - complications; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - metabolism; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - virology; Chronic Disease; Cytochrome P-450 3A4; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System - blood; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System - genetics; Disease Progression; Female; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B virus - metabolism; Hepatitis C - microbiology; Hepatitis C virus; Hepatitis, Chronic - microbiology; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - complications; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - metabolism; Humans; Liver Cirrhosis - enzymology; Liver Cirrhosis - genetics; Liver Diseases - enzymology; Liver Diseases - genetics; Male; Middle Aged; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - analysis; Viral liver diseases
• ISSN: 0009-9120; 1873-2933
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2005.01.005

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. 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. 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). These data suggest that the CYP 3A4 mRNA level in blood relates to progression of liver disease.