SLC22A7 GENE, A POTENTIAL BIOMARKER FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND PROGNOSIS OF HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA

Abstract

The SLC22A7 gene belongs to the SLC22A family and encodes for the OAT2 protein involved in the sodium-independent transport and excretion of organic anions in the liver and kidney. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a complex disease and has a high mortality rate. Identifying biomarkers that can be used to diagnose early and prognosis of HCC is essential to reduce the burden of HCC on patients, families, and society. In this report, we used bioinformatics tools to study the expression of SLC22A7 in the cell, on the tissues and their correlation with hepatocellular carcinoma. Our results showed that SLC22A7 mainly expresses in the liver, especially on the membrane of liver cells. We also found that level expression of SLC22A7 in liver cancer tissues was lower than that in non-cancer tissues. Low expression of SLC22A7 was related to worse prognosis in patients with HCC. Taken together, we indicated that SLC22A7 is a potential biomarker for early diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Keywords: SLC22A7, biomarker, diagnosis, prognosis, cancer, HCC