Expression of lipid metabolism-related genes in hepatocellular carcinoma and their prognostic significance

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the expression profiles of key lipid metabolism-related genes in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) tissues, aiming to identify novel prognostic biomarkers for HCC.

Methodology: This was a retrospective study. Sixty patients who underwent curative hepatectomy for HCC at the Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University between January 2022 to January 2025 were enrolled in this study. Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess the expression levels of SREBF1, FASN and ACLY in both HCC tissues and normal adjacent tissues(NATs). Expression differences between HCC tissues and NATs were compared. Clinical data were compared between the positive and negative groups. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated to evaluate overall survival (OS).

Results: The positive expression rates of SREBF1, FASN and ACLY were significantly higher in HCC tissues compared with NATs(all P < 0.001). Compared with the SREBF1-negative group, the SREBF1-positive group had a higher proportion of tumors >5 cm and a lower proportion of CNCL stage Ia tumors(both P< 0.05). In the FASN-positive group, the proportion of poorly differentiated tumors and mean AFP level were significantly higher than in the FASN-negative group (both P < 0.05). Similarly, the ACLY-positive group had a significantly higher proportion of poorly differentiated tumors compared with the ACLY-negative group. Survival analysis showed significantly lower OS in the positive expression groups compared to their negative counterparts.

Conclusion: The expression levels of the lipid metabolism-related genes SREBF1, FASN and ACLY are significantly elevated in HCC tissues compared with NATs. These genes are considered independent prognostic biomarkers in HCC.