CLEC14A was up-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma and may function as a potential diagnostic biomarker

OBJECTIVE: The current work aimed to investigate the expression and potential clinical significance of C-type Lectin domain family 14 (CLEC14A) in hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: The relative expressions of CLEC14A in the Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) tissue and adjacent normal tissue of 105 HCC patients were examined using RT-qPCR methods. Furthermore, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn for exploring the diagnostic value of CLEC14A. Next, the expressions of CLEC14A in HCC cell lines and normal liver epithelial cells were compared, and the effects of knockdown of CLEC14A on the growth and apoptosis of HCC cells were examined. RESULTS: The authors found that the expression of CLEC14A was markedly increased in hepatocellular carcinoma tumors in comparison with the adjacent tissue, and the expression level of CLEC14A was positively correlated with the size and differentiation of the tumor. Moreover, results of ROC analysis showed CLEC14A might function as a sensitive diagnostic biomarker for HCC. Furthermore, CLEC14A was up-regulated in HCC cell lines, and transient over-expression of CLEC14A decreased the proliferation and increased the apoptosis of HCC cells in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that CLEC14A was up-regulated in HCC and might function as a potential diagnostic marker.