Down-Regulation of DHRS1 Predicts Poor Survival Outcome of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with complicated stages. The HCC patients almost never show clinical signs or symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages. Thus, discovering biomarkers for early detection of HCC is critical for enhancing therapeutic efficacy in HCC patients. In this study, clinical information and gene expression data were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas, consisting of 612 patients. Raw data were processed using the z-score method for normalization. Kaplan-Meier curves, Chi-square tests, and log-rank tests were performed using R packages to evaluate the prognostic value of DHRS1. We found that DHRS1 expression in HCC tumors was consistently and significantly lower than that in normal tissues. In addition, the expression of DHRS1 was significantly associated with serum alpha-fetoprotein level, tumor size, and staging systems. Most importantly, high DHRS1 expression was correlated with longer relapse-free survival, disease-free survival, and overall survival. In our multivariate analysis, DHRS1 expression was an independent predictor of mortality and tumor recurrence. We identified DHRS1 as a novel tumor-suppressor gene. Down-regulation of DHRS1 in HCC is associated with tumor development and poor clinical outcomes. In conclusion, DHRS1 is a promising biomarker for the early diagnosis and prognosis of HCC in the age of precision medicine.