Clinical Significance and Integrative Analysis of the SMC Family in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Worldwide, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant cancers with poor prognosis. The structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) gene family has been shown to play important roles in human cancers. Nevertheless, the role of SMC members in HCC is not well-understood. In this study, we comprehensively explored the role of the SMC family in HCC using a series of bioinformatic analysis tools. Studies have demonstrated that the mRNA expression levels of SMC1A, SMC1B, SMC2, SMC4, and SMC6 are significantly overexpressed in HCC, and the protein levels of SMC1A, SMC2, SMC3, SMC4, SMC5, and SMC6 are similarly elevated. Moreover, HCC patients with high SMC2 and SMC4 expression levels exhibit poor survival. Using KEGG and GO analyses, we analyzed the enrichment of gene expression in the biological functions and pathways of the SMC family in HCC. Immune infiltration analysis revealed that the expression of the SMC family is closely associated with B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and DCs. In conclusion, our findings will enhance a more thorough understanding of the SMC family in HCC progression and provide new directions for the diagnosis and treatment of HCC in the future.