Clinical and Translational Research
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Dec 15, 2023; 15(12): 2064-2076
Published online Dec 15, 2023. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v15.i12.2064
Transient receptor potential-related risk model predicts prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients
Xiao-Cai Mei, Qian Chen, Shi Zuo
Xiao-Cai Mei, Shi Zuo, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550000, Guizhou Province, China
Qian Chen, Department of Organ Transplantation, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550000, Guizhou Province, China
Co-first authors: Xiao-Cai Mei, and Qian Chen.
Author contributions: Zuo S designed the experiments and revised the manuscript, Mei XC, and Chen Q performed the data analysis and wrote the manuscript; Mei XC and Chen Q contributed to the conception of the study; Mei XC and Chen Q worked together on the data analysis of this article, including the analysis of the database and subsequent collaboration together on PCR and western blotting; Mei XC and Chen Q worked together to conceptualize the framework of the article, and in the revision process, the two authors also worked together to complete the reviewer’s response; all authors read and agreed on the final manuscript.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82260535; and National Natural Science Foundation of Guizhou Medical University Hospital Incubation Program, No. gyfynsfc-2022-07.
Institutional review board statement: This study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Guizhou Medical University Hospital.
Informed consent statement: All study participants, or their legal guardian, provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Shi Zuo, PhD, Chief Physician, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, No. 28 Gui Medical Street, Yunyan District, Guiyang 550000, Guizhou Province, China. 1056659393@qq.com
Received: July 6, 2023
Peer-review started: July 6, 2023
First decision: October 9, 2023
Revised: October 17, 2023
Accepted: November 10, 2023
Article in press: November 10, 2023
Published online: December 15, 2023
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) protein family shape oncogenic development, but the specific relevance of TRP-related genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has yet to be defined.

AIM

To investigate the role of TRP genes in HCC, their association with HCC development and treatment was examined.

METHODS

HCC patient gene expression and clinical data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database, and univariate and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression models were employed to explore the TRP-related risk spectrum. Based on these analyses, clinically relevant TRP family genes were selected, and the association between the key TRP canonical type 1 (TRPC1) gene and HCC patient prognosis was evaluated.

RESULTS

In total, 28 TRP family genes were screened for clinical relevance, with multivariate analyses ultimately revealing three of these genes (TRPC1, TRP cation channel subfamily M member 2, and TRP cation channel subfamily M member 6) to be significantly associated with HCC patient prognosis (P < 0.05). These genes were utilized to establish a TRP-related risk model. Patients were separated into low- and high-risk groups based on the expression of these genes, and high-risk patients exhibited a significantly poorer prognosis (P = 0.001). Functional analyses highlighted pronounced differences in the immune status of patients in these two groups and associated enriched immune pathways. TRPC1 was identified as a candidate gene in this family worthy of further study, with HCC patients expressing higher TRPC1 levels exhibiting poorer survival outcomes. Consistently, quantitative, immunohistochemistry, and western blot analyses revealed increased TRPC1 expression in HCC.

CONCLUSION

These three TRP genes help determine HCC patient prognosis, providing insight into tumor immune status and immunological composition. These findings will help design combination therapies including immunotherapeutic and anti-TRP agents.

Keywords: Transient receptor potential family genes, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Transient receptor potential canonical type 1, Novel oncogene

Core Tip: The most common form of primary liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). People with chronic liver conditions, such as cirrhosis caused by hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection, are most likely to develop HCC. Although the predictive value of transient receptor potential (TRP)-related genes in HCC is unknown, TRP family gene proteins influence tumor progression. Our current study assessed the family-related TRP factors to establish the prognosis and treatment plan for HCC.