Elevated Expression of CHAF1A in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression and Immune Modulation

Jiajing Li,1 Ting Zhang,2 Qi Liu,2 Qian Du3 1The Diagnostics Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital to Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, 563000, People’s Republic of China; 2Affiliated Hospital to Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, 563000, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Endoscopy and Digestive System, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550002, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jiajing Li, Email [email protected]: This study aimed to explore the role of CHAF1A in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression, focusing on its expression, co-expression genes, genomic alterations, promoter methylation, clinical relevance, prognostic value, and immune associations.Methods: CHAF1A mRNA expression was analyzed using UALCAN. Co-expression genes and functions were explored via LinkedOmics. Genomic alterations were assessed using cBioPortal. Promoter methylation and clinical correlations were examined using GEO datasets. Prognostic significance was evaluated via Kaplan-Meier analysis. Immune cell infiltration and checkpoint gene associations were investigated.Results: CHAF1A was significantly upregulated in HCC and involved in cancer-related pathways. Genomic alterations were prominent in T1-stage tumors, often linked to alcohol-related liver disease. Promoter methylation influenced HCC progression and prognosis. CHAF1A expression correlated with clinical characteristics (gender, stage, grade, etc.) and showed diagnostic potential (AUC = 0.795). High CHAF1A expression predicted poor prognosis across various subgroups and was positively associated with immune cell infiltration and checkpoint genes.Conclusion: CHAF1A plays a critical role in HCC progression, with elevated expression linked to poor prognosis and immune modulation. These findings highlight its potential as a therapeutic target for HCC. Keywords: CHAF1A, HCC, expression patterns, immune cell infiltration, gene