Comprehensive Analysis of Gene Expression Changes and Validation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

AIM: This study aimed to analyze the involvement of hub genes in hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: Four series were used in this study: GSE45267, GSE84402, and GSE101685 from GPL570 platform in the Gene Expression Omnibus and the other from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The gene audition was completed using R software and Venn diagrams. The outcome, Gene Ontology enrichment, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes preliminary analyses of differentially expressed genes were performed using the R software. A string image was obtained using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes. The protein–protein interaction network was examined using Cytoscape software. The corrplot package was used to analyze the correlation of genes. Human Protein Atlas was used to confirm the protein levels. Univariate Cox regression was used to analyze whether these genes were related to survival. UALCAN was used to confirm the effect of these genes on patient survival. RESULTS: A total of 107 differentially expressed genes from 491 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and 119 normal individuals were selected in this study. Cytoscape revealed 25 central nodes from the 107 genes. CCNB1, CDK1, CCNA2, PTTG1, and CDC20 were selected based on the cell cycle pathway. A significant correlation was found among the 6 DEGs. The transcription levels and protein levels of these genes were verified in cells and human tissue samples. The overall survival for these genes was analyzed using univariate Cox regression and UALCAN. CONCLUSION: CCNB1, CDK1, CDC20, PTTG1, CCNA2, and TTK were overexpressed and correlated in hepatocellular carcinoma cells and tumors. The results might help explore the prognosis and diagnostic markers of HCC.