Bioinformatics Analysis of the PSD Gene Family: Metastasis and Prognosis in HCC.

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor with a poor prognosis for advanced metastasis while there is currently a lack of prognostic markers and effective therapeutic targets in this area. The PSD gene family, comprising four genes, has been implicated in tumor metastasis in breast cancer, but its role in HCC remains unclear. To elucidate the role-played by the PSD gene family in the prognosis of HCC and explore the relationship between the PSD gene family and tumor metastasis, we conducted a bioinformatics analysis using TCGA and gene expression omnibus (GEO) databases to investigate PSD gene family expression in HCC and its correlation with patient survival. Furthermore, we performed quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) validation of the expression levels of the PSD gene family in clinical samples. Gene correlation and enrichment analyses were also performed to explore its relationship with tumor metastasis. In conclusion, the expression levels of the PSD gene family are significantly downregulated in HCC (P < 0.01), and the lower expressions are associated with poor survival. In addition, there is a link between the PSD gene family and RAS pathway activation, suggesting its potential role in metastasis.