The pattern of gene copy number variations (CNVs) in hepatocellular carcinoma; in silico analysis

Abstract

Cancer-associated death is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Study of the involved molecular networks of cancers can identify the potential target for early diagnosis, efficient therapies, and predictive prognosis of patients with cancer. Copy number variations are one type of DNA mutations which has been connected with human cancers. The CNVs can be used to find the regions of the genome involved in cancer phenotypes. This study is aimed to perform genome-wide chromosomal CNVs in HCC samples to find hotspot regions of disease using in silico analysis. The obtained data showed that gain of chromosome 1q and loss of 8p were frequently observed in target cancerous tissues. All the gains and losses were associated with tumor grade and metastasis. However, the amplification of YY1AP1 (Yin Yang-1 Associated Protein 1) and deletion of CHMP7 (Charged Multivesicular Body Protein 7) were observed in most of patients. These expression levels of YY1AP1 and CHMP7 were also upregulated and downregulated in cancerous samples respectively. Additionally, these two genes interact with critical oncogene and tumor suppressor genes like MDM2 (Mouse double minute 2 homolog) and VHL (von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor) showing the potential of these genes in HCC pathogenesis. Based on the observed data we suggest the 1q and 8p as candidate regions for HCC for researches especially YY1AP1 and CHMP7 loci.