title: High expression of GFAT1 predicts unfavorable prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. As a branch of glucose metabolism, hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP) has been reported to play a critical role in the insulin resistance and progression of cancer. Glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase (GFAT) is the rate-limiting enzyme of the HBP; nevertheless, the prognostic value of GFAT1 in HCC remains elusive. In this study, we found that high expression of GFAT1 was significantly associated with serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), tumor size, tumor encapsulation, T stage and TNM stage. High GFAT1 expression was identified as an independent prognostic factor which predicted poor overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in HCC patients. Incorporation of GFAT1 expression could improve the prognostic accuracy of traditional TNM stage system. Integration of GFAT1 expression with other independent prognosticators generated a predictive nomogram, which showed better prognostic efficiency for OS and RFS in HCC patients. In vitro studies also revealed that GFAT1 promoted the proliferation, cell cycle progression, migration and invasion of HCC cells. In conclusion, GFAT1 is a potential prognostic biomarker for overall survival and recurrence-free survival of HCC patients after surgery.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Miaomiao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Peike
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Caiting
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Shushu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Fangfang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Dongwei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Mingming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Junjie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Weicheng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University Shanghai, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.|Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Jianxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005945:Glutamine-Fructose-6-Phosphate Transaminase (Isomerizing) / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005945:Glutamine-Fructose-6-Phosphate Transaminase (Isomerizing)
keywords: GFAT1; hepatocellular carcinoma; overall survival; prognostic factor; recurrence