The Association of Peroxiredoxin 4 with the Initiation and Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Aims: Peroxiredoxin 4 (PRDX4) is a member of the peroxiredoxin family of antioxidant enzymes. Previously, we reported that PRDX4 can restrain the initiation and progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis by reducing local and systemic reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Oxidative stress is recognized as a key factor in hepatocarcinogenesis, and a high ROS level has also been found in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, our aim is to investigate roles of PRDX4 in the initiation and progression of HCC.

Results: In this study, for hepatocarcinogenesis, wild-type (WT), PRDX4 knockout (PRDX4), and human PRDX4 transgenic (hPRDX4) mice were given a weekly intraperitoneal injection of diethylnitrosamine for 25 weeks. The HCC incidence was higher in PRDX4 mice than in WT or hPRDX4 mice. Intrahepatic and circulating oxidative stress and inflammatory cell infiltration in the liver were obviously decreased in hPRDX4 mice, compared with WT mice. Furthermore, in our cohort study, human HCC specimens with low expression of PRDX4 had higher ROS levels and a highly malignant phenotype, which was associated with a reduced overall survival, compared with those with high PRDX4 expression. However, in human HCC cell lines, PRDX4 knockdown led to a rapidly increased intracellular ROS level and suppressed cell proliferation, inducing cell death. Innovation and Conclusion: Our results clearly indicate that PRDX4 has an inhibitory effect in the initiation of HCC, but a dual (inhibitory or promoting) role in the progression of HCC, suggesting the potential utility of PRDX4 activators or inhibitors as therapy for different stages and phenotypes of HCC.