Identification of KNOP1 as a prognostic marker in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy with a poor prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the role and molecular mechanism of lysine-rich nucleolar protein 1 () in HCC.

METHODS

Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), genotype-tissue expression (GTEx), and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases were used to compare expression in normal and HCC tissues. The Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database was used to verify KNOP1 protein expression. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), gene set enrichment, protein-protein and gene-gene interaction network, DNA methylation, genetic alteration, and immune cell infiltration analyses were used to analyze the function and pathway enrichment of . Finally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis, univariate/multivariate Cox regression analyses, and nomograms were used to predict the clinical and prognostic significance of .

RESULTS

expression was higher in HCC tissue samples than in normal specimens. Additionally, high KNOP1 expression was positively correlated with T helper 2 (Th2) cells and immune checkpoints. KM analysis, Cox regression analysis, and nomogram prognostic model prediction suggested that high expression is a risk factor for poor HCC prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

KNOP1 overexpression is associated with poor HCC prognosis and increased proportions of immune cell infiltration and checkpoints. KNOP1 is a potential biomarker for evaluating HCC prognosis.