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Exploring the Potential of CSTF1 as a Prognostic Biomarker in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Its Correlation with Immune Infiltration

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a aggressive cancer associated with high morbidity and mortality globally. Reliable biomarkers are urgently needed to enhance diagnostic accuracy and survival outcomes in patients with HCC. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of cleavage stimulation factor subunit 1 (CSTF1) in HCC. Methods: CSTF1 expression in different cancer types, including HCC, was analyzed using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess CSTF1 expression in clinical samples. Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate associations between CSTF1 expression and the clinical characteristics of patients with HCC. Furthermore, Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were performed to identify signaling pathways and biological functions linked to differentially expressed genes. The prognostic significance of CSTF1 in HCC was assessed via the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox univariate and multivariate analyses. Immune cell infiltration was investigated through single-sample GSEA and the CIBERSORT algorithm. Three nomograms were constructed to predict overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and progression free interval (PFI) rates at 1, 3, and 5 years after diagnosis. Results: CSTF1 expression was elevated in HCC cases and closely correlated with multiple clinical features. Elevated CSTF1 expression was strongly associated with various cancer-related pathways and the immune microenvironment. The Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that elevated CSTF1 expression predicts poorer prognostic outcomes in individuals with HCC. CSTF1 hypermethylation was also related to poor patient outcomes. The constructed nomograms for OS, DSS, and PFI achieved concordance indices of 0.631, 0.719 and 0.787, respectively. Conclusion: These findings suggest that CSTF1 can serve as a novel prognostic biomarker for HCC. Evidence from immunohistochemistry and bioinformatics analyses supports CSTF1 as a prognostic indicator and a potential therapeutic target. This discovery could enhance diagnostic precision and improve survival outcomes for patients with HCC.

Source: Journal of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s552710