Integrative transcriptomic analysis reveals miR-26a-5p downregulation and a potential predictive gene signature for the progression of metabolic liver disease

Background Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is an important inducer of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MicroRNAs are key regulators of tumorigenesis. Among these, miR-26a-5p is known to be associated with liver pathogenesis, yet its role in linking MASLD progression to HCC development remains incompletely understood. Methods Hepatic miR-26a-5p expression was quantified in the C57BL/6 mice with a 3-month high-carbohydrate diet (HCD). Public transcriptomic datasets with MASLD and HCC samples were analyzed to identify predicted miR-26a-5p downstream candidates upregulated in the above-mentioned diseases. Associations with tumor features were examined, and protein expression of β-catenin, c-MYC and EpCAM were evaluated after miR-26a-5p modulation. Results Integrative bioinformatics identified miR-26a-5p as a candidate prognostic indicator for metabolic liver disease progression. In vivo , results confirmed that suppressed miR-26a-5p expression is a hallmark of diet-induced metabolic perturbation. Mechanistically, in vitro modulation of miR-26a-5p attenuated oncogenic signaling via the β-catenin/c-Myc/EpCAM axis, establishing its role as a tumor suppressor. Notably, in silico analysis of HCC tissues revealed that high miR-26a-5p levels correlate with enhanced antitumor immunity. Leveraging these insights, we constructed a transcriptional signature from miR-26a-5p downstream candidates and MASLD-HCC differentially expressed genes. This signature effectively stratifies MASLDpatients, discriminating molecular risk groups associated with progression to HCC. Conclusion Integrating transcriptomic, clinical and experimental data suggests the role of miR-26a-5p, along with the MASLD-HCC gene signature (EpCAM, DTNA, and KPNA2), may serve as an early molecular indicator and mechanistic modulator of hepatocarcinogenesis, warranting further functional investigation.