Diacylglycerol kinase alpha is a proliferation marker of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma associated with the...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Cancer Biology
• Molecular Pathology

Background:

• Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) presents a significant clinical challenge due to high recurrence rates and poor patient prognosis.
• Effective prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic strategies for ICC are urgently needed.
• Diacylglycerol kinase alpha (DGKα) is implicated in hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence, but its role in ICC remains unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the expression of DGKα in ICC tissues.
• To determine the correlation between DGKα expression and clinical features, patient survival, and recurrence.
• To evaluate DGKα as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for ICC.

Main Methods:

• Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was employed to assess DGKα expression in 69 ICC surgical specimens.
• DGKα expression was categorized and correlated with clinical parameters and patient outcomes.
• Ki-67 expression was evaluated as a marker of cell proliferation and its association with DGKα levels was examined.

Main Results:

• DGKα expression was detected in a subset of ICC patients (DGKα+ group), who were generally older and presented with more advanced disease.
• Patients with DGKα+ ICC exhibited significantly worse overall survival and recurrence-free survival (RFS).
• DGKα positivity emerged as an independent prognostic factor for RFS, and higher DGKα levels correlated with increased Ki-67-positive cells, indicating enhanced proliferation.

Conclusions:

• Pathological DGKα expression in ICC is associated with increased cancer cell proliferation and recurrence.
• DGKα may serve as a valuable prognostic biomarker for ICC.
• Targeting DGKα presents a potential therapeutic strategy for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.