Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39657751›Full record

ArticleClinical and molecular hepatology2025

Integrated molecular characterization of sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma.

Rong-Qi Sun, Yu-Hang Ye, Ye Xu, Bo Wang, Si-Yuan Pan, Ning Li, Long Chen, Jing-Yue Pan, Zhi-Qiang Hu, Jia Fan and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical and molecular hepatology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Rong-Qi SunDepartment of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Yu-Hang YeDepartment of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Ye XuDepartment of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Bo WangDepartment of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
Si-Yuan PanDepartment of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Ning LiDepartment of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Long ChenDepartment of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Jing-Yue PanDepartment of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Zhi-Qiang HuDepartment of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Jia FanDepartment of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Zheng-Jun ZhouDepartment of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Jian ZhouDepartment of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Cheng-Li SongInstitute of Cancer Stem Cell, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
Shao-Lai ZhouDepartment of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82003082National Natural Science Foundation of China 82072681National Natural Science Foundation of China 82173260National Natural Science Foundation of China 82273247National Natural Science Foundation of China 82372985National Natural Science Foundation of China 82373418Shanghai Medical Innovation Research Project 22Y11907300
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUNDS/

aimsSarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare histological subtype of HCC characterized by extremely poor prognosis; however, its molecular characterization has not been elucidated.

methodsIn this study, we conducted an integrated multiomics study of whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, spatial transcriptome, and immunohistochemical analyses of 28 paired sarcomatoid tumor components and conventional HCC components from 10 patients with sarcomatoid HCC, in order to identify frequently altered genes, infer the tumor subclonal architectures, track the genomic evolution, and delineate the transcriptional characteristics of sarcomatoid HCCs.

resultsOur results showed that the sarcomatoid HCCs had poor prognosis. The sarcomatoid tumor components and the conventional HCC components were derived from common ancestors, mostly accessing similar mutational processes. Clonal phylogenies demonstrated branched tumor evolution during sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. TP53 mutation commonly occurred at tumor initiation, whereas ARID2 mutation often occurred later. Transcriptome analyses revealed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxic phenotype in sarcomatoid tumor components, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, we identified ARID2 mutations in 70% (7/10) of patients with sarcomatoid HCC but only 1-5% of patients with non-sarcomatoid HCC. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of ARID2 contributes to HCC growth and metastasis and induces EMT in a hypoxic microenvironment.

conclusionWe offer a comprehensive description of the molecular basis for sarcomatoid HCC, and identify genomic alteration (ARID2 mutation) together with the tumor microenvironment (hypoxic microenvironment), that may contribute to the formation of the sarcomatoid tumor component through EMT, leading to sarcomatoid HCC development and progression.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularLiver NeoplasmsAgedEpithelial-Mesenchymal TransitionExome SequencingFemaleGene Expression ProfilingHumansMaleMiddle AgedMutationPrognosisTranscription FactorsTranscriptomeTumor Suppressor Protein p53ARID2 protein, humanTranscription FactorsTumor Suppressor Protein p53ARID2Epithelial–mesenchymal transitionMultiomicsSarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma

Identifiers

PMID39657751
PMCPMC12016616

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.