Gene expression profile of human cancer associated hepatic stellate cells in HBV related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

We identified the genomic characteristics of peritumoral hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in HBV related HCC. Expression levels of 17160 genes were compared between quiescent and activated HSCs and cancer associated myofibroblasts (CAMFs) from three independent samples per group. We find that among all significant changed genes (≥2-fold change and p<0.05), there were only 188 upregulated and 467 downregulated genes in peritumoral HSCs compared to intratumoral CAMFs. Compared with quiescent HSCs, the same patients-derived culture activated HSCs yielded as many as 1485 upregulated and 1471 downregulated genes. Between peritumoral HSCs/intratumoral CAMFs and culture-activated HSCs , there are 4479 and 3540 upregulated genes, and 3691 and 3380 downregulated genes, respectively. Between peritumoral HSCs/intratumoral CAMFs and quiescent phenotype HSCs, there are 1032 and 994 upregulated genes, and 1654 and 1188 downregulated genes, respectively. Examination of different gene expression in 4 cell phenotypes of hepatic stellate cells