Objective:To identify prognostic markers for primary liver cancer(PLC)through high-throughput sequencing technology and predict its potential targeted traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs).Methods:A total of 103 patients with PLC and 50 healthy controls were recruited.Peripheral blood samples were collected,and peripheral blood mononuclear cell(PBMC)were isolated for subsequent high-throughput sequencing analysis.The gene expression matrix was analyzed using bioinformatics analysis technology,core genes were screened using Cytoscape,immune infiltration was scored using the'CIBERSORT'deconvolution algorithm and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis,survival curve was plotted using KM-plot,and targeted TCMs was obtained from the Coremine Medical database.Results:A total of 404 genes were found to be differentially expressed in PLC group.It is mainly involved in biological processes such as gas transport,snRNP complex formation,and mRNA splicing,and is enriched in nicotine addiction,alcoholism,lysosome and arachidonic acid metabolism.Among the nine core genes,namely SLC4A1,ALAS2,HBG1,AHSP,HBG2,HBB,HBD,HBA2 and HBA1.It was observed that higher expression levels of HBA2,AHSP and HBG2 were significantly associated with reduced survival time in patients with PLC.The proportion of positive immune regulatory cell subsets,such as quiescent natural killer(NK)cells,CD8+T cells,naive B lymphocytes,and activated memory CD4+T cells in PBMC of patients with PLC,is diminished.Meanwhile,there is an increased infiltration of inhibitory immune cell subsets including monocytes,M0 macrophages,and regulatory T lymphocytes.Survival analysis showed that the level of NK cell infiltration at resting-state was positively correlated with the overall survival of PLC patients.Furthermore,ascites,Child-Pugh score,and BCLC stage serve as crucial prognostic indicators for quantifying the prognosis of PLC.Thirty kinds of TCMs,including turtle shell,donkey-hide gelatin,lotus leaf,tea tree root,and ground swallowwort,may be involved in the targeted therapy of PLC.Conclusion:This study offers a new avenue for identifying prognostic markers and conducting research on TCMs.
Primary liver cancer(PLC)Peripheral blood mononuclear cell(PBMC)RNA-SeqCore genePrognostic markerImmune cellsTraditional Chinese medicine
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万方数据
