Comprehensive Analysis of the Expression, Prognosis and Immune Infiltration of KPNA Family in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract Background: The primary function of the Karyophorin alpha family (KPNAs) is to assist the transport of proteins from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Studies have found that KPNAs are involved in the occurrence and development of a variety of tumors. However, the expression level of KPNAs family members in HCC, its influence on prognosis, its relationship with immune infiltration, and its clinical significance are still unclear.Methods: We used UALCAN, GEPIA, HPA, TIMER, Kaplan-Meier Plotter, CBioPortal, String and Metascape databases to analyze the expression and mutation of KPNAs in Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the expression level of KPNAs and the prognosis of patients, tumor immune cell infiltration, HCC clinicopathological characteristics Relationship. Finally, the biological functions of KPNAs related genes are analyzed. Results: The protein and mRNA of KPNAs were significantly up-regulated in HCC, and their expression levels were closely related to the prognosis of patients and the clinical characteristics of the tumor (tumor grade, stage, etc.). In addition, KPNAs in HCC are prone to mutations, which are not conducive to the prognosis of patients. Moreover, the expression of HCC is positively correlated with the infiltration of immune cells. Enrichment analysis found that KPNAs-related genes are mainly related to biological processes such as nuclear and cytoplasmic signaling, protein chromosome localization, and their pathways mainly include cell cycle and MAPK signaling pathways. Conclusion: KPNAs are significantly related to the occurrence, development and patient prognosis of HCC and may become the target of HCC immunotherapy in the future.