Study on the Expression, Prognosis, and Clinical Features of HOXA6 in Liver Cancer

Abstract

Objective: To study and analyze the expression level of homeobox A6 (HOXA6) in patients with liver cancer and its correlation with prognosis. Methods: From January 2020 to July 2021, 43 patients with liver cancer who underwent surgery without prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy were selected. Liver cancer tissues and adjacent tissues were collected, and the expression levels of HOXA6 mRNA and protein were measured using RT-qPCR and Western blot. The expression level of HOXA6 in tumor tissues (without radiotherapy and chemotherapy) was compared with that in adjacent tissues. Additionally, the prognosis and clinical characteristics of patients with low HOXA6 expression were compared to those with high HOXA6 expression, and the factors influencing high HOXA6 expression in liver cancer patients were analyzed. Results: HOXA6 mRNA and protein expression levels in tumor tissues were significantly higher than in adjacent tissues (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the 1-year and 2-year survival rates between the high HOXA6 expression group and the low HOXA6 expression group (P > 0.05). However, the 3-year survival rate was lower in the high HOXA6 expression group compared to the low HOXA6 expression group (P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender, age, tumor diameter, alpha-fetoprotein levels, or hepatitis B virus DNA levels (P > 0.05). However, significant differences were found in the number of tumor lesions, degree of differentiation, and the proportion of tumor metastasis between the two groups (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the number of tumor lesions, degree of differentiation, and tumor metastasis were influencing factors for high HOXA6 expression in liver cancer patients (P < 0.05). Conclusion: HOXA6 expression levels are abnormally elevated in liver cancer patients, and higher HOXA6 expression is associated with a worse 3-year survival rate. The factors influencing HOXA6 expression include the number of tumor lesions, degree of differentiation, and tumor metastasis.