Increased KIF21B expression is a potential prognostic biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma
Huiqi Zhao, Bao-Long Dong, Min Zhang, Xiaohua Dong, Yu He, Shiyong Chen, Wu B, Xiaojun Yang
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The kinesin superfamily protein member KIF21B plays an important role in regulating mitotic progression; however, the function and mechanisms of KIF21B in cancer, particularly in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), are unknown. AIM: To explore the role of KIF21B in hepatocellular carcinoma and its effect on prognosis after hepatectomy. METHODS: knockdown. Immunohistochemical analysis was used to validate the differential expression of KIF21B in HCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues from 186 patients with HCC after hepatectomy. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess prognosis significance. RESULTS: knockdown remarkably suppressed cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. Moreover, immunohistochemistry results are consistent with The Cancer Genome Atlas analysis, with KIF21B expression levels being increased in HCC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed KIF21B as an independent risk factor for overall survival and disease-free survival in patients with HCC after hepatectomy. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our results provide evidence that KIF21B plays an important role in HCC progression and may be a potential diagnostic and prognostic marker for HCC.