microRNA-148a dysregulation discriminates poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in association with USP4 overexpression

作者：Heo Mi Jeong; Kim Young Mi; Koo Ja Hyun; Yang Yoon Mee; An Jihyun; Lee Sook Kyung; Lee Seung Jin; Kim Kang Mo; Park Joong Won; Kim Sang Geon^*

来源：Oncotarget, 2014, 5(9): 2792-2806.

DOI：10.18632/oncotarget.1920

• hepatocellular carcinoma
• USP4
• S1P1
• miR-148a
• migration
• growth

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is classified as a poor prognostic tumor, and becomes frequently aggressive. MicroRNAs emerge as key contributors to tumor progression. This study investigated whether miR-148a dysregulation differentiates poor prognosis of HCC, exploring new targets of miR-148a. miR-148a dysregulation discriminated not only the overall survival and recurrence free survival rates of HCC, but the microvascular invasion. In the human HCC samples, ubiquitin specific protease 4 (USP4) and sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P1) were up-regulated as the new targets of miR-148a. USP4 and S1P1 were up-regulated in mesenchymal-type liver-tumor cells with miR-148a dysregulation, facilitating migration and proliferation of tumor cells. The inverse relationship between miR-148a and the identified targets was verified in a tumor xenograft model. In the analysis of human samples, the expression of USP4, but not S1P1, correlated with the decrease of miR-148a. In a heterotropic patient-derived HCC xenograft model, USP4 was also overexpressed in G1 and G2 tumors when miR-148a was dysregulated, reflecting the closer link between miR-148a and USP4 for a shift in the expansion phase of tumorgraft. In conclusion, miR-148a dysregulation affects the poor prognosis of HCC. Of the identified targets of miR-148a, USP4 overexpression may contribute to HCC progression towards more aggressive feature.

• 出版日期2014-5