Specific MiRNAs in naïve T cells associated with Hepatitis C Virus-induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the primary cause of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis, which in turn, notably increase the risk of developing HCC. The systematic immune response plays a vital role in protecting eukaryotic cells from exogenous antigens. In the present study, to determine the association between T cells and miRNAs in HCV-induced HCC (HCV-HCC), bulk mRNA and miRNA sequencing data from HCV-HCC tissues were combined, along with single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from T cells. Deconvoluted bulk RNA-seq data and miRNA profiles enabled the identification of naive CD4+ T cell-associated miRNAs, which may help to elucidate the underlying mechanism of the anti-HCV immune response. Using bulk RNA-seq data, the current analysis presents a feasible method for assessing the relationship between miRNAs and cell components, providing valuable insights into the effects of T cell-associated miRNAs in HCV-HCC.

Changes in DNA methylation profile in liver tissue during progression of HCV-induced fibrosis to hepatocellular carcinoma

“…Compared to liver When the liver tissue surrounding the tumor is cirrhotic, the number of hypermethylated CpG sites in tumor tissue versus the comparison group is 47.7 and 16 % (GSE73003 and GSE37988, respectively). Previous studies have also revealed the predominance of hypomethylated CpG sites in extended genome regions, including those in the region of genes and intergenic regions, in HCC tumor tissue versus the surrounding cirrhotic liver tissue (Shen et al, 2012;Hlady et al, 2014;Yamada et al, 2016;Yan et al, 2021). The present study shows for the first time that in patients with HCC the tumor in the setting of unaffected liver tissue and with liver fibrosis in CHCV is characterized by a greater proportion of hypermethylated CpG sites, while the number of hypomethylated sites increases in tumor tissue in cirrhosis.…”

“…Genes, including EXO1, VCAN, KIT and MIR200C, which are associated with the development of HCV-induced HCC and considered as potential targets for pharmacotherapy, have been identified (Goossens, Hoshida, 2015;Schulze et al, 2015;Chen et al, 2021). In addition, microRNAs determined in liver tissue or serum have been shown to have prognostic value in the development of HCV-induced HCC (Aly et al, 2020;Yan et al, 2021).…”

A spliceosome-associated gene signature aids in predicting prognosis and tumor microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma

“…Sun and colleagues showed that CD8 + T cells decreased innate-like low cytotoxic state and promoted recurrence by overexpressing KLRB1 (CD161) [ 46 ]. In addition, Regulatory naive CD4+ T-cells impair cancer immunosurveillance by creating an immunosuppressive environment, thereby promoting tumor progression [ 47 , 48 ]. The decreased densities of tumor-infiltrating naive B cells in HCC imply a poor survival rate and was an independent prognosticator [ 49 ].…”

A novel diagnostic four-gene signature for hepatocellular carcinoma based on artificial neural network: Development, validation, and drug screening

“…However, Macrophage M0 and Naive T cell amounts were upregulated in the HCC cohort, while not all of them would differentiate to maturity and interfere with HCC proliferation or immigration. Thus, increasing the ratio of M1/M2 and the number of mature T cells might be a potential treatment for HCC ( Dou et al, 2019 ; Yan et al, 2021 ).…”