Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Apr 15;22(8):4097. doi: 10.3390/ijms22084097.
Cancer incidence and mortality are rapidly growing, with liver cancer being the sixth most diagnosed cancer worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer death in 2020. A number of risk factors have been identified that trigger the progression to hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review, we focus on iron as a potential risk factor for liver carcinogenesis. Molecules involved in the regulation of iron metabolism are often upregulated in cancer cells, in order to provide a supply of this essential trace element for all stages of tumor development, survival, proliferation, and metastasis. Thus, cellular and systemic iron levels must be tightly regulated to prevent or delay liver cancer progression. Disorders associated with dysregulated iron metabolism are characterized with increased susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma. This review discusses the association of iron with metabolic disorders such as hereditary hemochromatosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, in the background of hepatocellular carcinoma.
癌症的发病率和死亡率正在迅速上升，肝癌是全球第六大常见癌症，也是 2020 年癌症死亡的第三大主要原因。已经确定了许多引发肝细胞癌进展的危险因素。在这篇综述中，我们重点关注铁作为肝癌发生的潜在危险因素。参与铁代谢调节的分子在癌细胞中经常上调，以便为肿瘤发展的所有阶段、生存、增殖和转移提供这种必需的微量元素供应。因此，必须严格调节细胞内和系统内的铁水平，以防止或延缓肝癌的进展。与铁代谢失调相关的疾病的特点是更容易发生肝细胞癌。本综述讨论了铁与遗传性血色素沉着症、非酒精性脂肪性肝病、肥胖症和 2 型糖尿病等代谢紊乱之间的关联，这些疾病都是在肝细胞癌的背景下发生的。
