Comprehensive Analysis of LPCATs Highlights the Prognostic and Immunological Values of LPCAT1/4 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Tong Lin,1 E Zhang,1 Zhimei Lin,1 Lisheng Peng2 1The Fourth Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Science and Education, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Lisheng PengDepartment of Science and Education, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, No. 1 Fuhua Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail [email protected]: The prognosis of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains poor. Lipid remodeling modulators are considered promising therapeutic targets of cancers, owing to their functions of facilitating cancer cells’ adaption to the limited environment. Lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferases (LPCATs) are enzymes regulating bio-membrane remodeling, whose roles in HCC have not been fully illuminated.Methods: Multiple bioinformatic tools were applied to comprehensively evaluate the expression, genetic alterations, clinical relevance, prognostic values, DNA methylation, biological functions, and correlations with immune infiltration of LPCATs in HCC.Results: We found LPCAT1 was significantly overexpressed and the most frequently altered in HCC. The high-expression of LPCAT1/4 indicated clinicopathological advancements and poor prognoses of HCC patients. Even though the global DNA methylation of LPCATs in HCC showed no significant difference with that in normal liver, the hypermethylation of numerous CpG sites of them implied worse survivals of HCC patients. Thirty LPCATs’ interactive genes were identified, which were generally membrane components and partook in phospholipid metabolism pathways. Finally, we found the expression of LPCATs was extensively positively correlated with the infiltration of various stimulatory and suppressive tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) in the tumor microenvironment.Conclusion: This study addressed LPCAT1/4 were potential prognostic and immunotherapeutic biomarkers of HCC targeting bio-membrane lipid remodeling.Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma, LPCATs, bioinformatics, biomarker, immune infiltration

Keywords

• hepatocellular carcinoma
• lpcats
• bioinformatics
• biomarker
• immune infiltration