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The present study attempts to shed more light on the role of hepatocarcinoma-intestine-pancreaspancreatic associated protein (HIPPAP) in hepatoma cells. We initially examined, by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the HIPPAP transcripts present in human hepatoma cell lines of different origins and with different grades of differentiation and genetic profiles. We also used DNA sequencing analysis to investigate the structure of the HIPPAP gene. Further investigation is necessary to define the role of HIPPAP during the development of human hepatocellular carcinoma and to ascertain whether the use of different transcripts is helpful in regulating HIPPAP expression in transformed liver cells.

Interleukin-6 plays a central role in regulating the immune system, hematopoiesis, and acute phase reaction. It interacts with a receptor complex consisting of a specific ligand-binding protein (IL-6R, gp80) and a signal transduction protein (gp130). In this report, serum levels of IL-6 and a soluble form of the interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6R) were evaluated in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The correlation between IL-6 and sIL-6R values, the stage of hepatocellular carcinoma, and main liver function tests was also studied.