Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42714711›Full record

ArticleDiscover oncology2026

AKR7A3 rs1738023 association with susceptibility to female hepatocellular carcinoma and its role in AFB1 metabolism and tumor.

Jiakao Zhang, Yuan Liao, Ketuan Huang, Yongfei He, Meifeng Chen, Shutian Mo, Qiang Gao, Xinping Ye, Tao Peng, Chuangye Han

Abstract read
In one paragraph

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

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0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Jiakao ZhangDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Shuang-Yong Rd. 6, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
Yuan LiaoDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Shuang-Yong Rd. 6, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
Ketuan HuangDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Shuang-Yong Rd. 6, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
Yongfei HeDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Shuang-Yong Rd. 6, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
Meifeng ChenDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Shuang-Yong Rd. 6, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
Shutian MoDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Shuang-Yong Rd. 6, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
Qiang GaoDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Shuang-Yong Rd. 6, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
Xinping YeDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Shuang-Yong Rd. 6, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
Tao PengDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Shuang-Yong Rd. 6, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. pengtaogmu@163.com.
Chuangye HanDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Shuang-Yong Rd. 6, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. hanchuangye@hotmail.com.

Funding

Guangxi Medical and Health Appropriate Technology Development and Application Project No. S2021100Guangxi Natural Science Foundation No.2020GXNSFAA159127Medical Excellence Award" Funded by the Creative Research Development Grant from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University No. 2021006National Natural Science Foundation of China 81802874
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancer worldwide. In this study, we performed a two-stage exome-chip association analysis and found that the aldo-keto reductase family7 member A3 (AKR7A3) rs1738023 may be a potential susceptibility locus for HCC in females. We aimed to explore its role and mechanism.

methodsThe association between genotype and phenotype was analyzed through GWAS method. The expression of AKR7A3 in cancer tissue and blood analysis by qRT-PCR. The relationship of AKR7A3 and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was also analyzed. The effect of AKR7A3 on the biological behavior of HCC cell line was investigated on proliferation and invasion. The potential mechanism was analyzed by transcriptome analysis and western blot.

resultsThrough genome-wide association analysis (GWAS), AKR7A3 (rs1738023), KIF2C (rs4342887), and CYP3A5 (rs6977165 and rs4646450) were found to be associated with susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in women. Further expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis showed that only AKR7A3 (rs1738023) was significantly associated with gene expression. The expression of AKR7A3 was significantly lower in HCC than adjacent non-tumorous tissues (P < 0.001). The genotype of rs1738023 was significantly associated with AKR7A3 expression (P = 0.0085). Rs1738023[C] genotype had a low AKR7A3 expression level and limited detoxification ability of AFB1. Literature data showed that AKR7A3 is involved in the metabolism of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Functional experimental results showed that overexpression of AKR7A3 in the normal liver cell line HL-7702 could significantly reduce AFB1-induced ROS levels and DNA adduct formation, suggesting that it plays a protective role in AFB1 metabolic detoxification. Cell function test showed that overexpression of AKR7A3 inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells, and block the cell cycle. Transcriptome sequencing and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that overexpression of AKR7A3 affected the PI3K signaling pathway and led to downregulation of HIF1A and its downstream VEGFA protein expression. The validation results were confirmed in HCC cell lines Huh-7 and SUN-387.

conclusionOverexpression of AKR7A3 contributes to inhibition of HCC progression and reduction of aflatoxin toxicity. AKR7A3 may serve as a potential prognostic and therapeutic target for HCC patients, although further validation is needed.

Indexed as

AflatoxinAKR7A3Hepatocellular carcinoma

Identifiers

PMID42714711
PMCPMC13558527

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