Beclin 1 mRNA Strongly Correlates with Bcl-XLmRNA Expression in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Beclin 1 physically associates with Bcl-xL and is considered as a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor. As the role of Beclin 1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unknown, we determined Beclin 1 mRNA expression in 27 pairs of tumoral/nontumoral (T/NT) liver samples. The Beclin 1 mRNA T/NT ratio was less than 0.5 in 2 tumors and more than 2 in 1 tumor, and was positively correlated with the Bcl-XL mRNA T/NT ratio (P < 0.001), but not with the proliferating cell nuclear antigen mRNA T/NT ratio. Coregulation of Beclin 1 and Bcl-XL expression in HCC may suggest cooperation in the regulation of apoptosis.