Potential influence of omentin-1 genetic variants on the clinicopathological features of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as the fifth supreme prevalent cancer within men globally and the ninth among female, serving as a significant contributor to cancer-associated deaths. The adipokine omentin-1 has been demonstrated to have a defensive effect by decreasing the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. The connections among lifestyle factors that promote cancer, <i>OMNT1</i> polymorphisms, and HCC are still not well understood. Our investigation focused on the influence of clinicopathological characteristics and four variants of the <i>OMNT1</i> gene (rs2274907, rs35779394, rs4656959, and rs79209815) on healthy controls as well as Taiwanese individuals with HCC. According to our data, individuals with the <i>OMNT1</i> rs79209815 variant (TC or CC genotypes) are at an elevated risk of progressing to stage III/IV disease and larger tumors than those with the TT genotype. Males exhibited these associations more prominently than females. Moreover, <i>OMNT1</i> expression levels were markedly reduced in individuals with the wild-type TT homozygous genotype when compared to those with the TC or CC genotypes of rs79209815. The complexity of genetic influences on HCC is highlighted by our study, which suggests that <i>OMNT1</i> polymorphisms may have an impact on tumor stage and progression.