Anti-ferroptotic PRKAA2 serves as a potential diagnostic and prognostic marker for hepatoblastoma

作者：Xie Yi, Zhongqi Cui, Sijia Fang, Guoqing Zhu, Zhen Ni, Jiabei Zhu, Siwei Mao, Fenyong Sun, Qiuhui Pan, Ji Ma · 发表于：Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.21037/jgo-23-110 · 被引用次数：9 · 研究领域：Ferroptosis and cancer prognosis、Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research、RNA modifications and cancer

Background: The incidence rate of hepatoblastoma (HB), which is the most prevalent malignant tumour among children, rises each year. According to recent studies, a number of neoplastic disorders and ferroptosis are intimately connected. This study aims to identify key ferroptosis-related genes in HB and explore new directions for the diagnosis and treatment of HB. Methods: Differentially expressed ferroptosis-related genes were identified using the Gene Expression Omnibus datasets. The functional annotation of candidate genes was evaluated through Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. Machine learning and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves revealed protein kinase AMP-activated catalytic subunit alpha 2 (PRKAA2), tribbles homolog 2 (TRIB2), and liver-type glutaminase (GLS2) as potential diagnostic genes of HB. By using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry, relative expression of PRKAA2 was examined. The effect of PRKAA2 on proliferation, apoptosis, and ferroptosis of HB cells was verified in vitro and in vivo. Fisher’s exact test was used to evaluate the clinical significance of PRKAA2 in HB. Results: The prognostic indicators had a substantial correlation with PRKAA2 expression, which rose dramatically in HB tissues. PRKAA2 promotes proliferation and inhibits ferroptosis in HB cells. PRKAA2 plays a role in ferroptosis by regulating hypoxia-inducible factor ...