Bioinformatics-based analysis of the association between the A1-chimaerin (CHN1) gene and gastric cancer

ABSTRACT

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide and the identification of additional therapeutic targets and biomarkers has become vital. The A1-chimaerin (CHN1) gene encodes a ras-related protein that can be activated or inactivated by binding to GTP or GDP. The present study aimed to assess the expression of CHN1 in GC tissue and cells, to explore its relationship with GC progression, and to discover the potential mechanisms underlying these associations. The ONCOMINE database and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were used to determine the transcriptional levels of CHN1 in GC. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used for detecting protein expression. Correlations between CHN1 levels and the clinical outcomes of GC patients were examined using Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses. Moreover, the CIBERSORT algorithm was used to estimate immune cell infiltration. In GC patients, CHN1 transcription and CHN1 protein expression were upregulated, and a high expression of CHN1 was remarkably linked to poor survival in GC patients. CHN1 expression was associated with immune infiltrates and this gene showed potential involvement in multiple cancer-related pathways. Furthermore, the expression of CHN1 was correlated with the immunotherapeutic response. Finally, our results indicated that the pro-carcinogenic role of CHN1 may involve DNA methylation. To our knowledge, this is the first report characterizing CHN1 expression in GC. Our results show that high CHN1 levels could be used as a clinical biomarker for poor prognosis and that CHN1 inhibitors may have potential as anti-cancer drugs.

KEYWORDS:

• Gastric cancer
• CHN1
• biomarker
• immune cell infiltration
• methylation

Acknowledgements

The present study was supported by the Youth Science and Technology Project of Suzhou (No. KJXW2019059); the Suzhou Science and Technology Development Plan (No. SYSD2019006); National Nature Science Foundation of china (81973782).

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

Jie-pin Li and Shu-hong Zeng are co-first authors. Dr. Yuan-jie Liu and Dr. Yong-hua Zhang are jointly designated as co-corresponding authors.

Data Availability

We promise that all the data in this article are authentic, valid and available.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Authors’ Contributions

Jie-pin Li and Shu-hong Zeng contributed equally to this work.

Ethical Standards

The study was approved by Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Ethics and Research Committee (protocol number: 2019NL-166-02).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Youth Science and Technology Project of Suzhou [No. KJXW2019059]; Suzhou Science and Technology Development Plan [No. SYSD2019006]; National Nature Science Foundation of china [NO.81973782]; Youth Science and Technology Project of Suzhou [NO.KJXW2019059]; Suzhou Science and Technology Development Plan [NO.SYSD2019006]; National Nature Science Foundation of china [NO.81973782].