High-Mobility Group AT-Hook 1 Served as a Prognosis Biomarker and Associated with Immune Infiltrate in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Yong-Guang Wei, Cheng-Kun Yang, Zhong-Liu Wei, Xi-Wen Liao, Yong-Fei He, Xin Zhou, Hua-Sheng Huang, Chen-Lu Lan, Chuang-Ye Han, Tao Peng Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Tao PengDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Shuang Yong Road 6, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-771-5356528Fax +86-771-5350031Email pengtaogmu@163.comBackground: The protein high-mobility group AT-hook 1 (HMGA1) has been demonstrated that modulated cellular proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis with a poor prognosis in miscellaneous carcinomas. However, the mechanism of circumstantial carcinogenesis and association with the immune microenvironment of HMGA1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) had not been extensively explored.Methods: The gene expression, clinicopathological correlation, and prognosis analysis were performed in the data obtained from TCGA. The results were further validated by ICGC and GEO database and external validation cohort from Guangxi. The HMGA1 protein expression was further examined in the HPA database. Biological function analyses were conducted by GSEA, STRING database, and Coexpedia online tool. Using TIMER and CIBERSORT method, the relationship between immune infiltrate and HMGA1 was investigated.Results: In HCC, HMGA1 had much higher transcriptional and proteomic expression than in corresponding paraneoplastic tissue. Patients with high HMGA1 expression had a poor prognosis and unpromising clinicopathological features. High HMGA1 expression was closely related to the cell cycle, tumorigenesis, substance metabolism, and immune processes by regulating complex signaling pathways. Notably, HMGA1 may be associated with TP53 mutational carcinogenesis. Moreover, increased HMGA1 expression may lead to an increase i