Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40495193›Full record

ArticleJournal of translational medicine2025

HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma: gene signatures associated with TERT promoter mutations and sex.

Patrizia Bonelli, Anna Lucia Tornesello, Franca Maria Tuccillo, Noemy Starita, Andrea Cerasuolo, Tiziana Pecchillo Cimmino, Sara Amiranda, Francesco Izzo, Gerardo Ferrara, Luigi Buonaguro and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of translational medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing 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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. The Prevalence and Clinical Significance of the Centromere Protein-F-Like Immunofluorescence Staining Pattern in a Large ANA-positive Cohort.Sichuan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Sichuan University. Medical science edition · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. 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

13 authors.

Patrizia BonelliMolecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy. p.bonelli@istitutotumori.na.it.ORCID 0000-0002-0916-4015
Anna Lucia TorneselloInnovative Immunological Models Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy.
Franca Maria TuccilloMolecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy.
Noemy StaritaMolecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy.
Andrea CerasuoloMolecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy.
Tiziana Pecchillo CimminoMolecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy.
Sara AmirandaMolecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy.
Francesco IzzoDivision of Hepatobiliary Surgical Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy.
Gerardo FerraraAnatomic Pathology and Cytopathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy.
Luigi BuonaguroInnovative Immunological Models Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy.
Valli De ReImmunopathology and Cancer Biomarkers Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Aviano, Italy.
Franco Maria BuonaguroMolecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy.
Maria Lina TorneselloMolecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy. m.tornesello@istitutotumori.na.it.ORCID 0000-0002-3523-3264

Funding

Ministero della Salute Ricerca Corrente L1/10", "5X1000 grant n.9Next Generation EU- PNRR M6C2 - Investimento 2.1 Valorizzazione e potenziamento della ricerca biomedica del SSN PNRR- MCNT2-2023-12377164
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rapidly progressing disease, frequently caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and a higher prevalence in males than females. Over 60% of HCCs harbour frequent activating mutations in the telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter (TERTp). However, the relationship between TERTp status, sex, and expression of specific genes remains poorly understood.

methodsWe conducted a literature search to identify genes that were significantly upregulated in HCV-related HCC, compared to the respective peri-tumour tissues, in at least two independent studies. We identified 90 genes and validated their expression in 59 matched HCV-related HCC and peri-tumour tissues using a custom multiplex array qPCR. HCV-related HCC patients were stratified by TERTp mutations and sex. Statistical analysis was performed to identify relationships between different variables.

resultsOverall, validation analysis confirmed the upregulation of 39 out of 90 genes. Expression levels of 24 genes differed significantly between HCV-related HCC with mutant and wild type TERTp. The expression of FASTK and FLVCR1 genes correlated with TNM and tumour size (p < 0.05). High expression of NUCKS1 was associated with mortality, particularly in male patients. Overall, the expression of 57 genes was sex-linked, with 26 and 48 genes significantly overexpressed in males and in females, respectively, some of which were also associated with mutant TERTp status.

conclusionsWe identified unique molecular signatures in TERTp mutant HCC associated with the activation of specific genes. Such results suggest that TERTp mutant HCC might represent a distinct clinical entity. Furthermore, the up-regulation of several genes in HCV-related HCC is sex-linked. These results are crucial for understanding the mechanisms underlying TERTp mutations in tumour progression and sex-related HCC risk and for developing more effective diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularHepacivirusHepatitis CLiver NeoplasmsMutationPromoter Regions, GeneticSex CharacteristicsTelomeraseAgedFemaleGene Expression ProfilingGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMaleMiddle AgedSex FactorsTelomeraseTERT protein, humanBiomarkerFemaleGene signaturesHCVMaleSexTERT

Identifiers

PMID40495193
PMCPMC12153190

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.