Association of AURKA Polymorphisms with the Development and Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Egyptian Patients

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly fatal disease and one of the most prevalent cancers globally. Aurora kinase A (AURKA) also known as STK15, BTAK, and AIKI plays a crucial role in oncogenic processes by promoting mitotic progression and chromosomal stability in centrosomes and mitotic spindles. HCC group consists of 47 individuals, including 20 females and 27 males with a mean age of 60.62 ± 8.06 years. The distribution of HCC cases was based on age (ranging from 43 to 80 years) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) status (19 Positive and 28 Negative). Genotyping of AURKA T91A (Ile31Phe) rs2273535 T/A and G169A (rs1047972 G/A) Val57Ile polymorphisms was performed using the PCR-RFLP test. Our results revealed a significant increase in the median values of the traditional tumor biomarker (AFP) in the HCC group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). However, the analysis of allele frequencies and genotypes ARUKA T91A (Ile31Phe) rs2273535 T/A and G169A (rs1047972 G/A) Val57Ile between the HCC patients and control group. These findings suggest that while AURKA polymorphisms may not be directly associated with HCC susceptibility in Egyptian patients, further investigations are warranted to explore the potential role of AURKA in HCC development and progression, considering its involvement in mitotic processes and chromosomal stability.