Co-expression of PKM2 and TRIM35 predicts survival and recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma

The identification of prognostic markers for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is needed for clinical practice. Tripartite motif-containing 35 (TRIM35) is a tumor suppressor of HCC. TRIM35 inhibits phosphorylation of pyruvate kinase isoform M2 (PKM2), which is involved in aerobic glycolysis of cancer cells. We found that expression of PKM2 was significantly increased in HCC tissues. This overexpression of PKM2 was correlated with a high TNM stage and level of vascular invasion. Patients with HCC who were positive for PKM2 expression and negative for TRIM35 expression had shorter overall survival and time to recurrence than patients who were negative for PKM2 and positive for TRIM35. Furthermore, PKM2/TRIM35 combination was an independent and significant risk factor for recurrence and survival. In conclusion, PKM2 (+) and TRIM35 (−) contribute to the aggressiveness and poor prognosis of HCC. PKM2/TRIM35 expression could be a biomarker for the prognosis of HCC and target for cancer therapy.