Integrative analysis identifies key mRNA biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic targets of HCV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatitis C virus-associated HCC (HCV-HCC) is a prevalent malignancy worldwide and the molecular mechanisms are still elusive. Here, we screened 240 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of HCV-HCC from Gene expression omnibus (GEO) and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), followed by weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify the most significant module correlated with the overall survival. 10 hub genes (CCNB1, AURKA, TOP2A, NEK2, CENPF, NUF2, CDKN3, PRC1, ASPM, RACGAP1) were identified by four approaches (Protein-protein interaction networks of the DEGs and of the significant module by WGCNA, and diagnostic and prognostic values), and their abnormal expressions, diagnostic values, and prognostic values were successfully verified. A four hub gene-based prognostic signature was built using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm and a multivariate Cox regression model with the ICGC-LIRI-JP cohort (N =112). Kaplan-Meier survival plots (P = 0.0003) and Receiver Operating Characteristic curves (ROC = 0.778) demonstrated the excellent predictive potential for the prognosis of HCV-HCC. Additionally, upstream regulators including transcription factors and miRNAs of hub genes were predicted, and candidate drugs or herbs were identified. These findings provide a firm basis for the exploration of the molecular mechanism and further clinical biomarkers development of HCV-HCC.