Quantification of IRGC mRNA by real-time PCR revealed a low level of IRGC in primary human hepatocytes, and this level was elevated compared with that detected in primary human pre-adipocytes and other human cell lines (SW1088, astrocytoma cell line; SK-LMS-1, leiomyosarcoma cell line; SW872, liposarcoma cell line; THP-1, monocytic cell line; 293T, embryonic kidney cell line; primary pre-adipocytes; HepG2, hepatocarcinoma cell line) (Fig. 8i). Here, IRGC is linked to astrocytoma (excluding glioblastoma).