Integrated analysis of the rhesus monkey liver transcriptome during development and human primary HCC AFP-related gene expression

Embryonic development and tumorigenesis have a certain degree of similarity. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), a protein related to embryonic development, is a well-known biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we analyzed the differences in gene expression profiles and molecular mechanisms in human HCC tissues from patients in AFP(high) (serum AFP level ≥ 25 ng/mL) and AFP(low) (serum AFP level < 25 ng/mL) groups. The results indicated that AFP(high) HCC has more malignant biological characteristics. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) showed significantly higher levels of genes expressed in dendritic cells, neutrophils, and natural killer cells in the AFP(low) group than in the AFP(high) group. Then, we defined a rhesus monkey fetal liver developmental landscape and compared it to the HCC gene expression profile. The gene signatures of AFP(high) HCC tissues were similar to those of early embryonic liver tissues. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the rhesus monkey liver transcriptome during development and human primary HCC AFP-related gene expression profiles and clarified the function of AFP in the occurrence and development of HCC from the perspective of developmental biology, which might provide a new perspective on the pathogenesis of HCC.