PVALB Was Identified as an Independent Prognostic Factor for HCC Closely Related to Immunity, and Its Absence Accelerates Tumor Progression by Regulating NK Cell Infiltration.

{"sci_version": "1.2", "schema": "https://corpus.bntrg.co.uk/sci/1.0/sci.schema.json", "id": "pmid:38737383", "kind": "science-record", "revision": 3, "content_hash": "sha256:b03a57891ecadaa3146eb4d36da568ca9fec6e00ded278b926a22dc5f44c20b1", "created_at": "2026-11-01T19:20:42Z", "updated_at": "2026-11-01T22:11:51Z", "generator": {"name": "corpus-assay-engine", "run_id": "reading-sci-2026-11-01"}, "paper": {"state": "complete", "title": "PVALB Was Identified as an Independent Prognostic Factor for HCC Closely Related to Immunity, and Its Absence Accelerates Tumor Progression by Regulating NK Cell Infiltration.", "doi": "10.2147/JHC.S450479", "pmid": "38737383", "authors": ["Yiyang Gong", "Minqin Zhou", "Yanting Zhu", "Jingying Pan", "Xuanrui Zhou", "Yike Jiang", "Hong Zeng", "Hao Zheng", "Xitong Geng", "Da Huang"], "journal": "Journal of hepatocellular carcinoma", "year": 2024, "abstract": "Purpose: Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common primary liver cancer, with poor prognosis. Complex immune microenvironment of the liver is linked to the development of HCC. PVALB is a calcium-binding protein which has been described as a cancer suppressor gene in thyroid cancer and glioma. Nevertheless, the role of PVALB in HCC is unknown.\nMaterials and Methods: We obtained data from TCGA and GSE54236 datasets. MCP-counter, WGCNA and LASSO model were applied to identify PVALB. With UALCAN, MethSurv, and other websites, we probed the expression, methylation and survival of PVALB. LinkedOmics and GSEA were adopted for functional analysis, while TIMER, TISIDB, Kaplan-Meier plotter, TIDE databases were utilized to evaluate the relevance of PVALB to the tumor immune microenvironment and predict immunotherapy efficacy. TargetScan, DIANA, LncRNASNP2 databases and relevant experiments were employed to construct ceRNA network. Finally, molecular docking and drug sensitivity of PVALB were characterized by GeneMANIA, CTD, and so on.\nResults: PVALB was recognized as a gene associated with HCC and NK cell. Its expression was down-regulated in HCC tissue, which lead to adverse prognosis. Besides, the hypomethylation of PVALB was related to its reduced expression. Notably, PVALB was tightly linked to immune, and its reduced expression attenuated the anticancer effect of NK cells via the Fas/FasL pathway, leading to a adverse outcome. The lnc-YY1AP1-3/hsa-miR-6735-5p/PVALB axis may regulate the PVALB expression. Finally, we found immunotherapy might be a viable treatment option.\nConclusion: In a word, PVALB is a prognostic indicator, whose low expression facilitates HCC progression by impacting NK cell infiltration.", "claims": [{"id": "claim-method", "statement": "In this study, we have screened PVALB by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) combined with Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) prognostic regression", "kind": "methodological", "target": null, "evidence": [{"asset": "source:pmid:38737383", "locator": "sections[1] \"Introduction\" paragraph 4", "quote": "In this study, we have screened PVALB by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) combined with Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) prognostic regression"}], "state": "complete"}, {"id": "claim-data-access", "statement": "Publicly available datasets were analyzed in this study. The data are accessible in TCGA and GEO databases. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.\nThe datasets analysed during the current study are available in the TCGA (https://portal.gdc.cancer.gov) and GEO databases, (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/).", "kind": "methodological", "target": null, "evidence": [{"asset": "source:pmid:38737383", "locator": "sections[42] \"Data Availability\" paragraphs 1-3", "quote": "Publicly available datasets were analyzed in this study. The data are accessible in TCGA and GEO databases. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.\nThe datasets analysed during the current study are available in the TCGA (https://portal.gdc.cancer.gov) and GEO databases, (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/)."}], "state": "complete"}, {"id": "claim-target-result", "statement": "PVALB is a prognostic indicator, whose low expression facilitates HCC progression by impacting NK cell infiltration.", "kind": "qualitative", "target": null, "evidence": [{"asset": "source:pmid:38737383", "locator": "sections[0] \"Abstract\" paragraph 4", "quote": "PVALB is a prognostic indicator, whose low expression facilitates HCC progression by impacting NK cell infiltration."}], "state": "complete"}], "gaps": []}, "experiment": {"state": "complete", "objective": "PVALB is a prognostic indicator, whose low expression facilitates HCC progression by impacting NK cell infiltration.", "steps": [{"id": "read_published_estimate", "order": 1, "name": "Read the published estimate from the source", "kind": "other", "state": "complete", "blocked_on": null, "description": "The claim, method and evidence span published with the source article.", "duration_hours": null, "parameters": {}, "inputs": ["source:pmid:38737383"], "outputs": ["the published estimate and its evidence"], "instruments": [], "reagents": []}, {"id": "obtain_source_data", "order": 2, "name": "Obtain the source data from the named repository", "kind": "data-preparation", "state": "complete", "blocked_on": null, "description": "The GEO series accession resolves and its sample accessions are listed. 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The data are accessible in TCGA and GEO databases. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.\nThe datasets analysed during the current study are available in the TCGA (https://portal.gdc.cancer.gov) and GEO databases, (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/).", "structure": {"repository": "GEO", "access_route": "GEO accession URL", "access_statement_verbatim": "Publicly available datasets were analyzed in this study. The data are accessible in TCGA and GEO databases. 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Statistical char", "olonies formed by HCC cells transfected with shRNA targeting PVALB. Statistical chart shows the"], "order_basis": "paper_text_order:1929", "id": "assay:1"}, {"role": "data_generation", "definition_id": "apoptosis_assay", "definition_version": "99e1195c7d6f", "definition_digest": null, "required_operations": [], "support_state": "partial", "source_hashes": {"assay_lexicon": "99e1195c7d6f"}, "confidence": 0.93, "evidence": ["ny-forming ability of HCC cells (Figure 2F). CCK8 assay also demonstrated that overexpression"], "order_basis": "paper_text_order:8316", "id": "assay:2"}, {"role": "analysis", "definition_id": "survival_analysis", "definition_version": "f2132e96ae6c7a4e", "definition_digest": null, "required_operations": ["survival_km"], "support_state": "supported", "source_hashes": {"dsl_catalogue": "f2132e96ae6c7a4e"}, "confidence": 0.7, "evidence": ["Kaplan-Meier"], "order_basis": "consumes_earlier_output", "id": "assay:3"}]}