Serum DLAT Is a Potential Diagnostic Marker in AFP-Negative HCC

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide.
• Early and accurate diagnosis of HCC is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
• The role of dihydrolipoyllysine-residue acetyltransferase (DLAT) in HCC pathogenesis and its diagnostic potential are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the expression and diagnostic utility of DLAT in HCC.
• To explore the association of DLAT with HCC progression and immune infiltration.
• To identify regulatory factors influencing DLAT expression in HCC.

Main Methods:

• Bioinformatics analysis including Gene Ontology and KEGG pathway enrichment.
• Quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Western blotting to detect DLAT expression in HCC cells.
• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for serum DLAT detection and ROC curve analysis.
• Luciferase reporter assays and promoter methylation analysis to identify regulatory mechanisms.

Main Results:

• DLAT expression is significantly upregulated in HCC tissues and associated with poorer prognosis.
• Serum DLAT demonstrates high diagnostic accuracy for HCC, outperforming alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in some comparisons.
• DLAT expression is negatively regulated by hsa-miR-122-5p and positively by transcription factors ZNF148, MAZ, and ZBTB12.
• Increased DLAT promoter methylation was observed in HCC, and DLAT correlates with immune cell infiltration.

Conclusions:

• DLAT is a promising diagnostic biomarker for HCC, particularly in AFP-negative cases.
• DLAT plays a role in HCC progression and is linked to the tumor immune microenvironment.
• Understanding DLAT regulation by microRNAs and transcription factors offers potential therapeutic targets.