Expression profiles of hepatocellular carcinomas derived from ductular progenitor cells

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) generally arises in chronically inflamed liver and is thought to originate from regenerating liver cells that acquired genetic alterations. Both hepatocytes and ductular progenitor cells (DPCs) contribute to liver regeneration and are candidate cellular origins of HCCs. In the current study, we used lineage-tracing analysis to show that Epcam-expressing DPCs give rise to HCCs in inflamed liver. Under conditions in which proliferating DPCs differentiate into cholangiocytes but not into hepatocytes, the accumulation of genetic alterations in Epcam-expressing DPCs resulted in the development of HCCs with histologic features of concomitant ductule-like structures resembling human cholangiolocellular carcinoma (CLC). To elucidate the characteristics of DPC-derived HCC, gene expression of HCCs derived from Epcam-expressing DPCs were evaluated using Agilent SurePrint G3 Mouse Gene Expression 8x60K v2. Two DPC-derived HCCs with CLC components, two DPC-derived HCCs without CLC, and two HCCs derived from albumin-expressing cells were analyzed. Two DPC-derived HCCs with CLC components, two DPC-derived HCCs without CLC, and two HCCs derived from albumin-expressing cells were analyzed.