Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40440122›Full record

ArticleAnnals of medicine2025

Discovery of novel diagnostic biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma associated with immune infiltration.

Qiang Liu, Hua Zhang, Heng Xiao, Ao Ren, Ying Cai, Rui Liao, Huarong Yu, Zhongjun Wu, Zuotian Huang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing 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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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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

9 authors.

Qiang LiuDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Hua ZhangDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Heng XiaoDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Ao RenDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Ying CaiSchool of Nursing, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Rui LiaoDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Huarong YuChongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Zhongjun WuDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Zuotian HuangDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveDiagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains challenging for clinicians. Machine learning approaches and big data analyses are viable strategies for identifying HCC diagnostic markers. MATERIALS AND

methodsIn this study, we downloaded mRNA expression profiles of HCC from the GEO database and used random forest and machine learning algorithms, such as least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, to screen for reliable diagnostic genes. Disease Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis enrichment analyses were performed to explore differential gene functions and disease pathways. CIBERSORT was performed to calculate the immune cell infiltration of HCC and the correlation between diagnostic genes and immune cells. Cell experiments were performed to evaluate the function of R-spondin 3 (RSPO3) in HCC cells. Immunohistochemical staining was used to evaluate the protein expression of CD138, CD206 and iNOS.

resultsThe results indicated that extracellular matrix protein 1 (ECM1), Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1 (NPC1L1) and RSPO3 were down-regulated in HCC compared with the normal group (

conclusionThe present study identified ECM1, NPC1L1 and RSPO3 as new diagnostic biomarkers for HCC based on normal and diseased samples from HCC, meanwhile the pro-oncogenic function of RSPO3 and its regulation on immune infiltration have been confirmed.

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorCarcinoma, HepatocellularLiver NeoplasmsAnimalsCell Line, TumorExtracellular Matrix ProteinsGene Expression ProfilingGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMaleMiceThrombospondinsBiomarkers, TumorExtracellular Matrix ProteinsThrombospondinsdiagnostic markersGEO databaseHepatocellular carcinomaimmune cell infiltrationmachine learning

Identifiers

PMID40440122
PMCPMC12123946

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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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.