ITPKA expression is a novel prognostic factor in hepatocellular carcinoma

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate-3-kinase-A (ITPKA) is implicated in various cancer progressions.
• The role of ITPKA in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains uninvestigated.
• This study explores the clinical significance of ITPKA in HCC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the expression level of ITPKA in HCC tissues.
• To evaluate the prognostic value of ITPKA expression in HCC patients.
• To determine if ITPKA can serve as a novel prognostic biomarker for HCC.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative real-time RT-PCR was used to determine ITPKA expression in 135 HCC tissues and matched adjacent nontumorous tissues.
• Univariate and multivariate analyses, including Cox proportional hazards model, were performed to correlate ITPKA expression with patient prognosis.
• Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to assess overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS).

Main Results:

• ITPKA was significantly up-regulated in 48.9% of HCCs compared to nontumor tissues (P < 0.001).
• High ITPKA expression correlated with vascular invasion (P = 0.001) and advanced TNM stage (P = 0.005).
• Patients with high ITPKA expression had significantly poorer 5-year OS (32.2%) and RFS (26.8%) rates compared to those with low expression (59.2% and 57.7%, respectively).
• ITPKA was identified as an independent prognostic factor for both OS and RFS.
• Prognostic significance of ITPKA was observed even in subgroups with early TNM stage I or normal serum AFP levels.

Conclusions:

• ITPKA expression is significantly elevated in HCC.
• ITPKA serves as a potential novel prognostic biomarker for HCC patients post-surgery.
• These findings highlight ITPKA's role in HCC progression and its utility in predicting patient outcomes.