Circadian rhythm-based prognostic features predict immune infiltration and tumor microenvironment in molecular subtypes of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) poses a significant threat to human health. Tumor microenvironment alterations, particularly immune-related changes, play a pivotal role in HCC progression, with high-throughput technologies facilitating the exploration of these dynamics. This study aimed to investigate the role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) AC019080.1 in HCC cells. A total of 24 circadian rhythm-related (CRR) messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and 433 CRR-lncRNAs were identified. Among them, 46 prognostically relevant circadian rhythm-related lncRNAs (PCRR-lncRNAs) were found to be upregulated in the HCC group. Molecular clustering analysis of 370 HCC samples revealed expression differences of PCRR-lncRNAs across three subtypes. Immune cell infiltration levels and tumor microenvironment analysis revealed significant subtype-specific differences. AC019080.1 and MCM3AP-AS1 were identified as core PCRR-lncRNAs in HCC, with elevated expression in both HCC tissues and cell lines. Through suppression of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, knockdown of lncRNA AC019080.1 significantly inhibited the proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells, while promoting apoptosis. This study suggests that circadian rhythm-related genes can predict immune infiltration and the molecular subtypes of HCC, providing valuable insights for diagnosis and treatment. lncRNA AC019080.1 holds potential as a therapeutic target for HCC.