AccScience Publishing / EJMO / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/EJMO026060061
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

The potential of GPRASP1 as a biomarker in primary liver cancer

Wenna Qi1† ,  Xiaodong Huang2† ,  Xinying Niu1 ,  Haoxuan Wang3 ,  Yang Yao1 ,  Cailing Wei4 ,  Shiqi Yang5 ,  Aiying Zhang1* ,  Dongdong Lin2* ,  Xiaojun Wang1*
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1 Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
2 Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
3 Department of Biomedical Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
4 Laboratory of Infectious Disease, HIV/AlDS Clinical Treatment Center of Guangxi (Nanning) and The Fourth People’s Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
5 Xinqi Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
†These authors contributed equally to this work.
EJMO, 026060061 https://doi.org/10.36922/EJMO026060061
Received: 2 February 2026 | Revised: 3 April 2026 | Accepted: 15 April 2026 | Published online: 15 May 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Introduction: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the leading cause of primary liver cancer (PLC), notably hepatocellular carcinoma. G-protein coupled receptor-associated sorting protein 1 (GPRASP1), a G protein-coupled receptor-associated protein, has been implicated in multiple malignancies. However, its role in PLC, particularly in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive patients, remains unclear.

Objective: To explore the GPRASP1 expression pattern and its clinical significance in PLC, with a focus on HBsAg-positive cases, and to evaluate its potential as a candidate biomarker.

Methods: Tumor center tissues and paired adjacent non-tumor liver tissues were collected from 12 pathologically confirmed PLC patients, including seven with active HBV infection or chronic carrier status. GPRASP1 mRNA expression levels were quantified using reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Associations between GPRASP1 expression and clinicopathological variables were statistically analyzed.

Results: GPRASP1 mRNA expression was significantly up-regulated in central tumor tissues and paired adjacent non-tumor liver tissues (p = 0.034). Elevated GPRASP1 expression was detected in 80% of HBsAg-positive PLC patients. GPRASP1 levels were significantly inversely correlated with hepatitis B surface antibody titers. Higher GPRASP1 expression was positively correlated with lymphocyte infiltration (τ = 0.816, p = 0.007). Moreover, GPRASP1 expression was negatively correlated with serum total bilirubin (r = −0.636, p = 0.026), direct bilirubin (r = −0.622, p = 0.031), and indirect bilirubin (r = −0.727, p = 0.007).

Conclusion: GPRASP1 is overexpressed in PLC tissues, particularly in HBsAg-positive patients, and its expression is associated with host immune response and hepatic functional markers. GPRASP1 may serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker for PLC and may provide novel insights into its diagnosis.

Keywords
Primary liver cancer
GPRASP1
Hepatitis B
Biomarker
Clinicopathological factors
Funding
This research was funded by the Clinical Technology Innovation Project (ZNZDXK-2023002) and the Clinical Technology Innovation Project of “Yangfan” Program of Beijing Hospital Management Center (ZLRK202332).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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Eurasian Journal of Medicine and Oncology, Electronic ISSN: 2587-196X Print ISSN: 2587-2400, Published by AccScience Publishing
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