Affiliations
- Department of Science and Education, The Affiliated TCM Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- Department of Orthopedics, Huizhou Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Huicheng, Guangdong, China.
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Taixing Hospital of TCM, Taixing, Jiangsu, China.
- Department of Spinal Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
PMID: 38720706 PMCID: PMC11076979 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30244
Abstract
Purpose: The integrator subunit (INTS) family, a group exclusive to metazoans, participates in various biologic processes. However, their roles in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain largely unexplored.
Methods: Public databases were used to investigate the transcriptional and protein expression, as well as the clinical relevance of the INTS family in HCC. The effects of INTS13 knockdown and overexpression on cell proliferation and apoptosis were studied using HCC cell lines.
Results: Higher expression of most INTS genes was observed in tumor tissues, and INTS13 was identified as an independent prognostic factor for poorer overall survival (OS). Knockdown of INTS13 inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in HCC cell lines, while overexpression of INTS13 had the opposite effect.
Conclusion: INTS13 is an independent prognostic biomarker in HCC. It promotes cell proliferation and decreases apoptosis, leading to poorer OS in HCC patients.
Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; INTS family; Immune infiltration; Prognosis; Transcription.
