Identification Of ANGPT2, FLT3, IGF1, and SPP1 associated with glycolysis and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant hepatic neoplasm characterized by rapid cellular proliferation facilitated by aerobic glycolysis. Additionally, the PI3K/Akt pathway enhances angiogenesis, thereby promoting the growth of HCC cells. This study aimed to identify biomarkers associated with glycolysis and the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in HCC.

Differential analysis was conducted on the Cancer Genome Atlas Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC) dataset to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between tumor and normal tissues. Overlapping DEGs, glycolysis-related genes (GMRGs), and PI3K/Akt pathway-related genes were analyzed to select candidate genes. Biomarkers were determined using ten algorithms within the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and their correlation with angiogenesis, autophagy, apoptosis, and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition(EMT) was examined. Biomarker expression levels were validated using Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) and compared between HCC and normal tissues in the TCGA-LIHC and GSE14520 datasets.

A total of 7,476 DEGs were identified between tumor and normal tissues, from which 20 candidate genes were selected, leading to the identification of four biomarkers (ANGPT2, FLT3, IGF1, and SPP1) via PPI analysis. These biomarkers were positively correlated with angiogenesis, autophagy, apoptosis, and EMT. In both TCGA-LIHC and GSE14520 datasets, ANGPT2 and SPP1 exhibited higher expression levels in HCC tissues compared to normal tissues. The expression of these biomarkers was further validated through RT-qPCR.

This study identified four biomarkers linked to glycolysis and the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in HCC, providing a theoretical foundation for HCC treatment.