Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42136961›Full record

ArticleHuman mutation2026

Integrated Bulk and Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Xenobiotic Metabolism Genes Drive Progression From Liver Cirrhosis to Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hao Xu, Yanpeng Li, Rui Zhao, Shaowei Ma, Ning Hu, Shuo Yu, Xuefeng Lv

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Human mutation, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Hao XuDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China, zdsfy.net.
Yanpeng LiDepartment of Emergency, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China, hebmu.edu.cn.
Rui ZhaoDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China, zdsfy.net.
Shaowei MaDepartment of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China, hebmu.edu.cn.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4166-1064
Ning HuDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China, hebmu.edu.cn.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0327-080X
Shuo YuDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China, hebmu.edu.cn.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0080-5307
Xuefeng LvDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China, zdsfy.net.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4388-1317

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors globally, with liver cirrhosis (LC) recognized as a significant precursor. Xenobiotic metabolism plays a pivotal role in liver diseases, where the liver's primary function as a detoxifying organ directly influences health and tumor development. Therefore, exploring the function of genes associated with xenobiotic metabolism in patients with HCC and LC is crucial for advancing diagnosis and treatment strategies. Methods: This study integrated bulk transcriptome RNA sequencing and single-cell RNA sequencing data of HCC and LC from the GEO database. Differential expression analysis, GO and DO enrichment analyses, and PPI network construction were performed to identify hub genes. ROC curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic value of these genes, and potential therapeutic drugs were predicted using drug databases. The expression of the identified hub genes was validated in clinical tissue samples (≥ 10 pairs) by qRT-PCR and Western blot. Functional assays, including wound healing, transwell migration, and invasion assays, were conducted following siRNA-mediated knockdown of selected hub genes in Huh7 hepatoma cells. Results: We identified five key xenobiotic metabolism-related hub genes: AKR1C3, CYB5A, ADH1C, MAOA, and ALDH2. These genes were significantly overexpressed in HCC and LC tissues compared with normal tissues and were associated with xenobiotic metabolism, substance abuse, alcohol use disorders, and cancer. ROC curve analysis indicated that these hub genes have high diagnostic value in HCC and LC. Potential drug prediction identified six compounds, including retinal, isopropanol, and disulfiram, which may have therapeutic effects. Clinical tissue validation confirmed that all five hub genes were significantly upregulated at both mRNA and protein levels in HCC and LC tissues compared with normal controls ( Conclusion: This study systematically analyzed the expression characteristics and functional significance of xenobiotic metabolism-related genes in HCC and LC by integrating multiple high-throughput sequencing technologies. Experimental validation confirmed the upregulation of these hub genes in clinical tissues and demonstrated that ALDH2 and AKR1C3 promote hepatoma cell migration and invasion, providing experimental evidence for their potential roles in disease progression. Potential drugs targeting these hub genes were preliminarily investigated.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularGene Expression ProfilingLiver CirrhosisLiver NeoplasmsXenobioticsCell Line, TumorComputational BiologyDisease ProgressionGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticGene Regulatory NetworksHumansProtein Interaction MapsSingle-Cell AnalysisSingle-Cell Gene Expression AnalysisTranscriptomeXenobioticshepatocellular carcinomaliver cirrhosismachine leaningsingle-cell RNA-seqxenobiotic metabolism

Identifiers

PMID42136961
PMCPMC13169128

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.