Abstract
Objective
To find pancreatic cancer (PC)-related hub genes based on weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) construction and immune infiltration score analysis and validate them immunohistochemically by clinical cases, to generate new concepts or therapeutic targets for the early diagnosis and treatment of PC.
Material and Methods
In this study, WGCNA and immune infiltration score were utilized to identify the relevant core modules of PC and the hub genes within these core modules.
Results
Using WGCNA analysis, data from PC and normal pancreas integrated with TCGA and GTEX were analyzed and brown modules were chosen from the six modules. Five hub genes, including DPYD, FXYD6, MAP6, FAM110B, and ANK2, were discovered to have differential survival significance via validation tests utilizing survival analysis curves and the GEPIA database. The DPYD gene was the only gene associated with PC survival side effects. Validation of the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database and immunohistochemical testing of clinical samples showed positive results for DPYD expression in PC.
Conclusion
In this study, we identified DPYD, FXYD6, MAP6, FAM110B, and ANK2, as immune-related candidate markers for PC. Only the DPYD gene had a negative impact on the survival of PC patients. Through validation of the HPA database and immunohistochemical testing of clinical cases, we believe that the DPYD gene brings novel ideas and therapeutic targets in the diagnosis and treatment of PC.
Keywords:
Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate
This study was conducted in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki.This study was conducted with approval from the Ethics Committee of The First of Affiliated Hospital of Dali University. A written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.