Yakicier, M. C.Irmak, M. B.Romano, A.Kew, M.Ozturk, M.2016-02-082016-02-0819990950-9232http://hdl.handle.net/11693/25217TGF-β is a negative regulator of liver growth. Smad family of genes, as mediators of TGF-β pathway, are candidate tumor suppressor genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We studied 35 HCC and non-tumour liver tissues for possible mutations in Smad2 and Smad4 genes. Three tumours displayed somatic mutations; two in Smad4 (Asp332Gly and Cys401Arg) and one in Smad2 (Gln407Arg) genes. All three mutations were A:T → G:C transitions suspected to result from oxidative stress as observed in mitochondrial DNA. These observation demonstrate that TGF-β pathway is altered in hepatocellular carcinoma.EnglishHepatocellular carcinomaSmad2Smad4Somatic mutationTGFβTumor suppressor genesMitochondrial DNASmad2 and Smad4 gene mutations in hepatocellular carcinomaArticle10.1038/sj.onc.1202866