is a potential prognostic marker and is associated with cancer metabolism and immune infiltration in clear cell renal cell carcinoma: a bioinformatics analysis based on the TCGA database.

BACKGROUND

Metastasis is a major negative prognostic marker in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Membrane palmitoylated proteins (MPPs) are a class of cell polarity-associated proteins that function in both cell-cell junction and adhesion. However, the relationship between and the prognosis of ccRCC remains elusive. In this study, we aimed to investigate the associations between expression with clinical prognosis of ccRCC using bioinformatics analyses.

METHODS

The messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression patterns of in different cancer types were examined using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) databases, with key clinical characteristics (TNM and pathological stages, pathological grade, survival status) included. A nomogram model using expressions and other clinical factors was built to predict the survival probability. The Kaplan-Meier plotter and Cox regression were employed to investigate the clinical significance and prognostic value of in ccRCC. expression-associated signaling pathways with were analyzed by the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG) tools. The Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database was used to investigate the correlation between and the infiltration patterns of immune cells.

RESULTS

By analyzing TCGA-kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (TCGA-KIRC) and HPA databases, we found that was differentially expressed in tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues (P<0.001). The expression patterns were associated with pathological stage (P<0.001), histological grade (P<0.01), and survival status (P<0.001). Using nomogram model, Cox regression and survival analysis, it showed that expressions combined with key clinical factors could accurately predict the clinical prognosis. The promoter methylation patterns of were correlated with the clinical factors of ccRCC patients. Furthermore, the KEGG and GO analyses demonstrated that is associated with mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. expression was associated with multiple types of immune cells and correlated with the enrichment of these cells.

CONCLUSIONS

is a critical gene links with ccRCC prognosis and is associated with tumor immune status and metabolism. could become a potential biomarker and important therapeutic target for ccRCC patients.