摘要
Background and Aims:The prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is extremely poor;therefore,there is an urgent need for novel prognostic molecular biomarkers of HCC.The current investigation utilized circular(circ)RNA-associated competing endogenous(ce)RNAs analysis in order to identify significant prognostic biomarkers of HCC.Methods:CircRNAs and mRNAs that were differentially expressed between normal and HCC tissues were identi-fied.Their respective functions were predicted with Gene Ontology enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses.A nomogram was used for model verification.Results:A ceRNA network composed of differentially expressed circRNAs and mRNAs was con-structed.Significant hub nodes in the ceRNA network were hsa_circ_0004662,hsa_circ_0005735,hsa_circ_0006990,hsa_circ_0018403 and hsa_circ_0100609.By using this in-formation,a prognostic risk assessment tool was developed based on the expressions of seven genes(PLOD2,TARS,RNF19B,CCT2,RAN,C5orf30 and MCM10).Furthermore,multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed risk and T-stage parameters as independent prognostic factors.The nomograms that were constructed from risk and T-stage groups were used to further assess the prediction of HCC patient survival rates.The nomogram,which consisted of risk and T-stage scores assessment models,was found to be an independent factor for predicting prognosis of HCC.Conclusions:Five circRNAs,including hsa_circ_0004662,hsa_circ_0005735,hsa_circ_0006990,hsa_circ_0018403 and hsa_circ_0100609,that may play key roles in the pro-gression of HCC were identified.Seven gene signatures were identified,which were associated with the aforemen-tioned circRNAs,including PLOD2,TARS,RNF19B,CCT2,RAN,C5orf30 and MCM10,all of which were significant genes involved in the pathophysiology of HCC.These genes may be used as a prognosticating tool in HCC patients.
