scholarly journals Identification of a novel four-lncRNA signature as a prognostic indicator in cirrhotic hepatocellular carcinoma

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linkun Ma ◽  
Cunliang Deng

Background Many studies have shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) are closely associated with the occurrence and development of various tumors and have the potential to be prognostic markers. Moreover, cirrhosis is an important prognostic risk factors in patients with liver cancer. Some studies have reported that lncRNA-related prognostic models have been used to predict overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, no one has constructed a prognostic lncRNA model only in patients with cirrhotic HCC. Thus, it is necessary to screen novel potential lncRNA markers for improve the prognosis of cirrhotic HCC patients. Methods The probe expression profile dataset (GSE14520–GPL3921) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), which included 204 cirrhotic HCC samples, was reannotated and the lncRNA and mRNA expression dataset was obtained. The patients were randomly assigned to either the training set (n = 103) and testing set (n = 100). Univariate cox regression and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) model were applied to screen lncRNAs linked to the OS of cirrhotic HCC in the training set. The lncRNAs having significant correlation with OS were then selected and the multivariate Cox regression model was implemented to construct the prognostic score model. Whether or not this model was related to RFS in the training set was simultaneously determined. The testing set was used to validate the lncRNA risk score model. A risk score based on the lncRNA signature was used for stratified analysis of different clinical features to test their prognostic performance. The prognostic lncRNA-related protein genes were identified by the co-expression matrix of lncRNA-mRNA, and the function of these lncRNAs was predicted through the enrichment of these co-expression genes. Results The signature consisted of four lncRNAs:AC093797.1,POLR2J4,AL121748.1 and AL162231.4. The risk model was closely correlated with the OS of cirrhotic HCC in the training cohort, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 3.650 (95% CI [1.761–7.566]) and log-rank P value of 0.0002. Moreover, this model also showed favorable prognostic significance for RFS in the training set (HR: 2.392, 95% CI [1.374–4.164], log-rank P = 0.0015). The predictive performance of the four-lncRNA model for OS and RFS was verified in the testing set. Furthermore, the results of stratified analysis revealed that the four-lncRNA model was an independent factor in the prediction of OS and RFS of patients with clinical characteristics such as TNM (Tumor, Node, Metastasis system) stages I–II, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages 0–A, and solitary tumors in both the training set and testing set. The results of functional prediction showed that four lncRNAs may be potentially involve in multiple metabolic processes, such as amino acid, lipid, and glucose metabolism in cirrhotic HCC.

2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. E32-44
Author(s):  
Jia Shen ◽  
Ming Shu ◽  
Shujie Xie ◽  
Jia Yan ◽  
Kaile Pan ◽  
...  

Purpose: This study aimed to screen hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-related feature ribonucleic acids (RNAs) and to establish a prognostic model. Methods: The transcriptome expression data of HBV-associated HCC were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differential RNAs between HBV-associated HCC and normal controls were identified by a meta-analysis of TCGA, GSE55092 and GSE121248. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was performed to identify key RNAs and modules. A prognostic score model was established using TCGA as a training set by Cox regression analysis and was validated in E-TABM-36 dataset. Additionally, independent prognostic clinical factors were screened, and the function of lncRNAs waspredicted through Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. Results: A total of 710 consistent differential RNAs between HBV-associated HCC and normal controls were obtained, including five lncRNAs and 705 mRNAs. An optimized combination of six differential RNAs (DSCR4, DBH, ECM1, GDAP1, MATR3 and RFC4) was selected and a prognostic score model was constructed. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that the prognosis of the high-risk and low-risk groups separated by this model was significantly different in the training set and the validation set. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis showed that the co-expression genes of DSCR4 were significantly correlated with neuroactive ligand receptor interactionpathway. Conclusion: A prognostic model based on DSCR4, DBH, ECM1, GDAP1, MATR3 and RFC4 was developed that can accurately predict the prognosis of patients with HBV-associated HCC. These genes, as well as histologic grade, may serve as independent prognostic factors in HBV-associated HCC.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaohong - Liu ◽  
Qian - Xu ◽  
Zi-Jing - Li ◽  
Bin - Xiong

Abstract BackgroundMetabolic reprogramming is an important hallmark in the development of malignancies. Numerous metabolic genes have been demonstrated to participate in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the prognostic significance of the metabolic genes in HCC remains elusive. MethodsWe downloaded the gene expression profiles and clinical information from the GEO, TCGA and ICGC databases. The differently expressed metabolic genes were identified by using Limma R package. Univariate Cox regression analysis and LASSO (Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) Cox regression analysis were utilized to uncover the prognostic significance of metabolic genes. A metabolism-related prognostic model was constructed in TCGA cohort and validated in ICGC cohort. Furthermore, we constructed a nomogram to improve the accuracy of the prognostic model by using the multivariate Cox regression analysis.ResultsThe high-risk score predicted poor prognosis for HCC patients in the TCGA cohort, as confirmed in the ICGC cohort (P < 0.001). And in the multivariate Cox regression analysis, we observed that risk score could act as an independent prognostic factor for the TCGA cohort (HR (hazard ratio) 3.635, 95% CI (confidence interval)2.382-5.549) and the ICGC cohort (HR1.905, 95%CI 1.328-2.731). In addition, we constructed a nomogram for clinical use, which suggested a better prognostic model than risk score.ConclusionsOur study identified several metabolic genes with important prognostic value for HCC. These metabolic genes can influence the progression of HCC by regulating tumor biology and can also provide metabolic targets for the precise treatment of HCC.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangtao Sun ◽  
Kejian Sun ◽  
Chao Shen

Abstract Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the world. Human nuclear receptors (NRs) have been identified to closely related to various cancer. However, the prognostic significance of NRs on HCC patients has not been studied in detail.Method: We downloaded the mRNA profiles and clinical information of 371 HCC patients from TCGA database and analyzed the expression of 48 NRs. The consensus clustering analysis with the mRNA levels of 48 NRs was performed by the "ConsensusClusterPlus". The Univariate cox regression analysis was performed to predict the prognostic significance of NRs on HCC. The risk score was calculated by the prognostic model constructed based on eight optimal NRs which were selected. Then Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to determine whether the risk score is an independent prognostic signature. Finally, the nomogram based on multiple independent prognostic factors including risk score and TNM Stage was used to predict the long-term survival of HCC patients.Results: NRs could effectively separate HCC samples with different prognosis. The prognostic model constructed based on the eight optimal NRs (NR1H3, ESR1, NR1I2, NR2C1, NR6A1, PPARD, PPARG and VDR) could effectively predict the prognosis of HCC patients as an independent prognostic signature. Moreover, the nomogram was constructed based on multiple independent prognostic factors including risk score and TNM Stage and could better predict the long-term survival for 3- and 5-year of HCC patients.Conclusion: Our results provided novel evidences that NRs could act as the potential prognostic signatures for HCC patients.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
WENHUA WANG ◽  
LINGCHEN WANG ◽  
XINSHENG XIE ◽  
YEHONG YAN ◽  
YUE LI ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains the most frequent liver cancer, accounting for approximately 90% of primary liver cancers worldwide. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) of HCC patients is a critical factor in devising a personal treatment plan. Thus, it is necessary to accurately forecast the prognosis of HCC patients in clinical practice.MethodsUsing The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, we identified genes associated with RFS. A robust likelihood-based survival modeling approach was used to select the best genes for the prognostic model. Then, the GSE76427 dataset was used to evaluate the prognostic model’s effectiveness.ResultsWe identified 1331 differentially expressed genes associated with RFS. Seven of these genes were selected to generate the prognostic model. The validation in both the TCGA cohort and GEO cohort demonstrated that the 7-gene prognostic model can predict the RFS of HCC patients. Meanwhile, the results of the multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the 7-gene risk score model could function as an independent prognostic factor. In addition, according to the time-dependent ROC curve, the 7-gene risk score model performed better in predicting the RFS of the training set and the external validation dataset than the classical TNM staging and BCLC. Furthermore, these seven genes were found to be related to the occurrence and development of liver cancer by exploring three other databases.ConclusionOur study identified a seven-gene signature for HCC RFS prediction that can be used as a novel and convenient prognostic tool. These seven genes might be potential target genes for metabolic therapy and the treatment of HCC.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
WENHUA WANG ◽  
LINGCHEN WANG ◽  
XINSHENG XIE ◽  
YEHONG YAN ◽  
YUE LI ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains the most frequent liver cancer, accounting for approximately 90% of primary liver cancers worldwide. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) of HCC patients is a critical factor in devising a personal treatment plan. Thus, it is necessary to accurately forecast the prognosis of HCC patients in clinical practice. MethodsUsing The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, we identified genes associated with RFS. A robust likelihood-based survival modeling approach was used to select the best genes for the prognostic model. Then, the GSE76427 dataset was used to evaluate the prognostic model’s effectiveness. ResultsWe identified 1331 differentially expressed genes associated with RFS. Seven of these genes were selected to generate the prognostic model. The validation in both the TCGA cohort and GEO cohort demonstrated that the 7-gene prognostic model can predict the RFS of HCC patients. Meanwhile, the results of the multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the 7-gene risk score model could function as an independent prognostic factor. In addition, according to the time-dependent ROC curve, the 7-gene risk score model performed better in predicting the RFS of the training set and the external validation dataset than the classical TNM staging and BCLC. Furthermore, these seven genes were found to be related to the occurrence and development of liver cancer by exploring three other databases. ConclusionOur study identified a seven-gene signature for HCC RFS prediction that can be used as a novel and convenient prognostic tool. These seven genes might be potential target genes for metabolic therapy and the treatment of HCC.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Xiaoqing Yu ◽  
Jingsong Zhang ◽  
Rui Yang ◽  
Chun Li

Objective. Many studies have found that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are differentially expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and closely associated with the occurrence and prognosis of HCC. Since patients with HCC are usually diagnosed in late stages, more effective biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognostic prediction are in urgent need. Methods. The RNA-seq data of liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs were obtained using the edgeR package. The single-sample networks of the 371 tumor samples were constructed to identify the candidate lncRNA biomarkers. Univariate Cox regression analysis was performed to further select the potential lncRNA biomarkers. By multivariate Cox regression analysis, a 3-lncRNA-based risk score model was established on the training set. Then, the survival prediction ability of the 3-lncRNA-based risk score model was evaluated on the testing set and the entire set. Function enrichment analyses were performed using Metascape. Results. Three lncRNAs (RP11-150O12.3, RP11-187E13.1, and RP13-143G15.4) were identified as the potential lncRNA biomarkers for LIHC. The 3-lncRNA-based risk model had a good survival prediction ability for the patients with LIHC. Multivariate Cox regression analysis proved that the 3-lncRNA-based risk score was an independent predictor for the survival prediction of patients with LIHC. Function enrichment analysis indicated that the three lncRNAs may be associated with LIHC via their involvement in many known cancer-associated biological functions. Conclusion. This study could provide novel insights to identify lncRNA biomarkers for LIHC at a molecular network level.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenhua Wang ◽  
Lingchen Wang ◽  
Xinsheng Xie ◽  
Yehong Yan ◽  
Yue Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains the most frequent liver cancer, accounting for approximately 90% of primary liver cancers worldwide. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) of HCC patients is a critical factor in devising a personal treatment plan. Thus, it is necessary to accurately forecast the prognosis of HCC patients in clinical practice.Methods Using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, we identified genes associated with RFS. A robust likelihood-based survival modeling approach was used to select the best genes for the prognostic model. Then, the GSE76427 dataset was used to evaluate the prognostic model’s effectiveness. Results We identified 1331 differentially expressed genes associated with RFS. Seven of these genes were selected to generate the prognostic model. The validation in both the TCGA cohort and GEO cohort demonstrated that the 7-gene prognostic model can predict the RFS of HCC patients. Meanwhile, the results of the multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the 7-gene risk score model could function as an independent prognostic factor. In addition, according to the time-dependent ROC curve, the 7-gene risk score model performed better in predicting the RFS of the training set and the external validation dataset than the classical TNM staging and BCLC. Furthermore, these seven genes were found to be related to the occurrence and development of liver cancer by exploring three other databases. Conclusion Our study identified a seven-gene signature for HCC RFS prediction that can be used as a novel and convenient prognostic tool. These seven genes might be potential target genes for metabolic therapy and the treatment of HCC.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangtao Sun ◽  
Kejian Sun ◽  
Chao Shen

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the world. Method We downloaded the mRNA profiles and clinical information of 371 HCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The consensus clustering analysis with the mRNA levels of 48 nuclear receptors (NRs) was performed by the “ConsensusClusterPlus.” The univariate Cox regression analysis was performed to predict the prognostic significance of NRs on HCC. The risk score was calculated by the prognostic model constructed based on eight optimal NRs. Then multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to determine whether the risk score is an independent prognostic signature. Finally, the nomogram based on multiple independent prognostic factors was used to predict the long-term survival of HCC patients. Results The prognostic model constructed based on the eight optimal NRs (NR1H3, ESR1, NR1I2, NR2C1, NR6A1, PPARD, PPARG, and VDR) could effectively predict the prognosis of HCC patients as an independent prognostic signature. Moreover, the nomogram was constructed based on multiple independent prognostic factors including risk score and tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage and could better predict the long-term survival for 3- and 5-year of HCC patients. Conclusion Our results provided novel evidences that NRs could act as the potential prognostic signatures for HCC patients.


BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenhua Wang ◽  
Lingchen Wang ◽  
Xinsheng Xie ◽  
Yehong Yan ◽  
Yue Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains the most frequent liver cancer, accounting for approximately 90% of primary liver cancers worldwide. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) of HCC patients is a critical factor in devising a personal treatment plan. Thus, it is necessary to accurately forecast the prognosis of HCC patients in clinical practice. Methods Using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, we identified genes associated with RFS. A robust likelihood-based survival modeling approach was used to select the best genes for the prognostic model. Then, the GSE76427 dataset was used to evaluate the prognostic model’s effectiveness. Results We identified 1331 differentially expressed genes associated with RFS. Seven of these genes were selected to generate the prognostic model. The validation in both the TCGA cohort and GEO cohort demonstrated that the 7-gene prognostic model can predict the RFS of HCC patients. Meanwhile, the results of the multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the 7-gene risk score model could function as an independent prognostic factor. In addition, according to the time-dependent ROC curve, the 7-gene risk score model performed better in predicting the RFS of the training set and the external validation dataset than the classical TNM staging and BCLC. Furthermore, these seven genes were found to be related to the occurrence and development of liver cancer by exploring three other databases. Conclusion Our study identified a seven-gene signature for HCC RFS prediction that can be used as a novel and convenient prognostic tool. These seven genes might be potential target genes for metabolic therapy and the treatment of HCC.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaohan Zhou ◽  
Chengdong Liu ◽  
Hanyi Zeng ◽  
Dehua Wu ◽  
Li Liu

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor of the digestive system characterized by mortality rate and poor prognosis. To indicate the prognosis of HCC patients, lots of genes have been screened as prognostic indicators. However, the predictive efficiency of single gene is not enough. Therefore, it is essential to identify a risk-score model based on gene signature to elevate predictive efficiency. Methods: lasso regression analysis followed by univariate cox regression was employed to establish a risk-score model for HCC prognosis prediction based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset GSE14520. R package “clusterProfiler” was used to conduct function and pathway enrichment analysis. The infiltration level of various immune and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) were evaluated by ssGSEA of R package “GSVA”. Results: This prognostic model is an independent prognostic factor for predicting the prognosis of HCC patients and can be more effective combining with clinical data through the construction of nomogram model. Further analysis showed patients in high-risk group possess more complex TME and immune cell composition. Conclusions: Taken together, our research suggests the thirteen-gene signature to possess potential prognostic value for HCC patients and provide new information for immunological research and treatment in HCC.


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