Genome-wide expression patterns associated with oncogenesis and sarcomatous transdifferentation of cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract

Abstract Background The molecular mechanisms of CC (cholangiocarcinoma) oncogenesis and progression are poorly understood. This study aimed to determine the genome-wide expression of genes related to CC oncogenesis and sarcomatous transdifferentiation. Methods Genes that were differentially expressed between CC cell lines or tissues and cultured normal biliary epithelial (NBE) cells were identified using DNA microarray technology. Expressions were validated in human CC tissues and cells. Results Using unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis of the cell line and tissue samples, we identified a set of 342 commonly regulated (>2-fold change) genes. Of these, 53, including tumor-related genes, were upregulated, and 289, including tumor suppressor genes, were downregulated (4-fold change), and 267 differentially downregulated genes ( Conclusion The deregulation of oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and methylation-related genes may be useful in identifying molecular targets for CC diagnosis and prognosis.