Expression of HSP90AA1/HSPA8 in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with depression

BACKGROUND: Depression may influence susceptibility to cancer, and the genes and signaling pathways that may mediate this association are unclear. METHODS: Here, we used isobaric tagging for relative and absolute quantitation, 2-dimensional liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry to compare proteins expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with or without depression. RESULTS: A total of 89 proteins were up-regulated and 44 were down-regulated in patients with depression. HSP90AA1 and HSPA8 were up-regulated, which correlated with elevated levels of VEGF, VEGFR2, PI3K, and AKT1 and reduced levels of caspase 9 and BAD. Disease-free survival rate was significantly lower and risk of tumor recurrence was significantly higher in patients with depression, which may reflect high HSP90AA1/HSPA8 expression. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the VEGF/VEGFR2 pathway may be associated with HCC recurrence in patients expressing high levels of HSP90AA1/HSPA8.