Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies, which causes serious financial burden worldwide. This study aims to investigate the potential mechanisms contributing to HCC and identify core biomarkers. The HCC gene expression profile GSE41804 was picked out to analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were carried out using DAVID. We constructed a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network to visualize interactions of the DEGs. The survival analysis of these hub genes was conducted to evaluate their potential effects on HCC. In this analysis, 503 DEGs were captured (360 downregulated genes and 143 upregulated genes). Meanwhile, 15 hub genes were identified. GO analysis showed that the DEGs were mainly enriched in oxidative stress, cell cycle, and extracellular structure. KEGG analysis suggested the DEGs were enriched in the absorption, metabolism, and cell cycle pathway. PPI network disclosed that the top3 modules were mainly enriched in cell cycle, oxidative stress, and liver detoxification. In conclusion, our analysis uncovered that the alterations of oxidative stress and cell cycle are two major signatures of HCC. TOP2A, CCNB1, and KIF4A might promote the development of HCC, especially in proliferation and differentiation, which could be novel biomarkers and targets for diagnosis and treatment of HCC.
Highlights
IntroductionThe sixth most common cancer overall, is causing the second largest number of cancer death all over the world
Primary liver cancer, the sixth most common cancer overall, is causing the second largest number of cancer death all over the world
15 hub genes were identified according to their degree of connectivity from high to low (Table1)
Summary
The sixth most common cancer overall, is causing the second largest number of cancer death all over the world. A great body of studies have disclosed that the tumorigenesis and progression of HCC are implicated with the mutation and abnormal expression and of genes, involving epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) [4], cyclin D1 (CCND1) [5], FoxQ1 [6], c-myc [7], as well as mutations of some tumor-suppressor genes. Lacking the specificity of auxiliary examination biomarker, it was difficult for physicians to achieve accurate diagnosis and treatment of HCC as early as possible, so some patients missed the optimal chance for surgery, increasing the risk of death [8]. The identification of specific and sensitive biomarkers which can assistant us to confirm patients at a lower or higher risk of death from HCC is of great significance, for more precise diagnosis, optimal treatment, and better prognosis, and for a comprehensive understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in carcinogenesis
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