scholarly journals Pan-Cancer Analyses of the Tumor Microenvironment Reveal That Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzyme E2C Might Be a Potential Immunotherapy Target

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Guang-zhao Huang ◽  
Ze-qun Chen ◽  
Juan Wu ◽  
Ting-ru Shao ◽  
Chen Zou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Clinical Stage ◽  
Gene Set Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Expression Level ◽  
Relevance Analysis ◽  
Ubiquitin Conjugating Enzyme ◽  
Cancer Types ◽  
Conjugating Enzyme

Increasing evidence indicated that the tumor microenvironment (TME) played a crucial role in cancer initiation and progression. Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2C (UBE2C) was differentially expressed in many cancer types. However, the immunological and prognostic roles of UBE2C were unclear. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of 29 cancer types were downloaded from GEPIA2 and 4 cancer types failed to download owing to no DEGs. Furthermore, the gene expression profiles, mutation data, and survival data of 33 cancer types were obtained from UCSC Xena. Clinical stage relevance, tumor mutational burden (TMB), TME relevance analysis, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) of DEGs in 33 cancer types were performed. And DEGs were identified in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) by biological experiments. Previous studies indicated that UBE2C was related to the prognosis of many cancers. In our study, the higher UBE2C expression level meant a terminal clinical stage in 8 cancer types and the expression level of UBE2C was related to TMB in 20 cancer types. In addition, both immune relevance analysis and GSEA showed that UBE2C might participate in immune response in many cancers. Furthermore, the UBE2C mRNA level and protein level were all identified as upregulated in OSCC cell lines and tissues. UBE2C was differentially expressed in many cancer types and related to the pathogenesis and TME of many cancers, which might be a potential diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker.

scholarly journals Hsa_circ_0004831 serves as a blood-based prognostic biomarker for colorectal cancer and its potentially circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network construction

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linlin Xing ◽  
Mengyan Xia ◽  
Xin Jiao ◽  
Ling Fan
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Regulatory Network ◽  
Prognostic Biomarker ◽  
Qpcr Assay ◽  
Gene Set Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Expression Level ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Tumorigenesis And Progression

Abstract Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignant tumor with unsatisfactory overall prognosis. CircRNAs could be promising prognostic biomarkers in cancers, and play important role in the process of tumorigenesis and progression. Here, we explored the role of hsa_circ_0004831 in blood extracellular vesicles and its prognostic value in CRC. Methods: The circRNA and mRNA expression level matrix in extracellular vesicles of CRC and normal samples were obtained from the exoRBase database. The corresponding miRNA expression level matrix in extracellular vesicles was downloaded from the BBCancer database. Differentially expressed circRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs were identified using the limma package of R software at the cut-off criteria of fold change (FC) > 2 and adj. p < 0.05. RT-qPCR assay was conducted to measure hsa_circ_0004831 expression level in CRC blood samples. A circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network of hsa_circ_0004831 was constructed based on competitive endogenous RNA mechanism and differentially expressed genes. The mRNAs co-expressed with hsa_circ_0004831 were screened at the cut-off criteria of pearson |r| > 0.3 and p < 0.05. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) based on co-expressed mRNAs was used to explore the potential molecular function of hsa_circ_0004831. Results: Differentially expressed circRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs were identified and hsa_circ_0004831 had a FC value of 3.92 in CRC blood extracellular vesicles. The RT-qPCR assay showed that the hsa_circ_0004831 was up-regulated in CRC blood samples. The overall survival analysis found that high expression of hsa_circ_0004831 was linked with poorer prognosis. Finally, a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network of hsa_circ_0004831 was constructed based on down-regulated miR-4326 and 12 up-regulated mRNAs. GSEA indicated that mRNAs co-expressed with hsa_circ_0004831 were involved in EMT, WNT and p53 signaling pathways.Conclusions: The study confirmed the up-regulation of hsa_circ_0004831 in CRC, and it may act as a vital prognostic biomarker. The circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network of hsa_circ_0004831 could be used to uncover the tumorigenesis and progression of CRC.

scholarly journals The Expression of Human Placental Genes Related to Carotenoid/retinoid Metabolism and Pathways (P02-005-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoming Gong ◽  
Lewis Rubin
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Microarray Analysis ◽  
Fetal Development ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Gene Set Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Retinoid Metabolism ◽  
Expression Of Genes ◽  
Β Carotene

Abstract Objectives Carotenoid/retinoids status and metabolism are essential for normal placental and fetal development. Both deficiencies and excess of retinoids and some carotenoids are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preeclampsia and preterm birth. A group of important genes involved in regulating carotenoid/retinoid metabolism and maternal to fetal transfer in human placenta. The objective of this study is to analyze (a) the expression of genes critical for regulating carotenoid/retinoid metabolism and maternal-fetal transport in human trophoblasts and (b) placental transcriptional profiles of these pathways in response to carotenoid exposure. Methods Human cytotrophoblasts (CTBs) were isolated from term placentas. CTB RNA was used to analyze the expression of genes involved in carotenoid/retinoid metabolism and pathways by qRT-PCT. First trimester-like trophoblasts (HTR-8/SVneo) were treated with either β-carotene or lycopene. RNAs were isolated and gene expression were analyzed by DNA microarrays. Results Human CTBs express retinoid metabolism and pathways-related genes, including Stra6, Lrat, Rdh5, Rdh10, Aldh1a1, Aldh1a2, Aldh1a3, Aldh8a1, Cyp26a1, and Cyp26b1, but not carotenoid metabolism genes, BCO1 and BCO2. Microarray analysis of placental gene expression profile revealed a total of 872 and 756 differentially expressed genes, respectively, compared to the control. Gene set enrichment analysis and functional annotation clustering was performed to characterize the genes differentially expressed in either β-carotene or lycopene-treated HTR-8/SVneo cells. Many known retinoid metabolism related genes and genes involved in regulation of retinoid signaling were found, and the expression profiles of these genes were markedly different in response to β-carotene treatments. Finally, the qRT-PCR and microarray analysis results showed similar gene expression patterns of carotenoid/retinoid metabolism and pathways. Conclusions These findings suggest that placental expression of genes involved in retinoid metabolism and transport in trophoblasts is critical for regulating retinoid homeostasis during placental and fetal development. Carotenoid exposure in early placental development, significantly modify the placenta gene expression related to retinoid pathways and maternal to fetal transfer. Funding Sources NIH HD421174.

scholarly journals Significance of CD47 and Its Association With Tumor Immune Microenvironment Heterogeneity in Ovarian Cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lan Yu ◽  
Yi Ding ◽  
Ting Wan ◽  
Ting Deng ◽  
He Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Prognostic Biomarker ◽  
Gene Set Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Cancer Prognosis ◽  
Expression Level ◽  
Immune Microenvironment ◽  
Immune Infiltration ◽  
Tumor Immune Microenvironment

BackgroundIt was reported that tumor heterogeneity and the surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME) in ovarian cancer affects immunotherapy efficacy and patient outcomes. And the TME of ovarian cancer is intrinsically heterogeneous. CD47 plays vital roles in cell functional behavior and immune homeostasis relating to cancer prognosis. But how it affects TME and its contribution to heterogeneity in ovarian cancer has not been fully illustrated. Therefore, we aimed to identify a prognostic biomarker which may help explain tumor immune microenvironment heterogeneity of ovarian cancer.MethodsCancer single-cell state atlas (CancerSEA) was used to evaluate functional role of CD47. Several bioinformatics database including Oncomine, Gene Expression Profiling Interaction Analysis (GEPIA), Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), The Human Protein Atlas (HPA), Ualcan and Kaplan-Meier plotter (KM plotter) were applied to illustrate correlation of CD47 with ovarian cancer prognosis and immune infiltration. Tumor Immune Single-cell Hub (TISCH) single cell database was employed to evaluate correlation of CD47 with tumor microenvironment. GeneMANIA was implemented to identify regulation networks of CD47. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between CD47 high and low expression groups were analyzed with R package DESeq2. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were utilized to explore how CD47 affect the immune related cell signaling pathway.ResultsCD47 expression was upregulated and connected to worse OS and PFS in ovarian cancer. Close relation was found between CD47 expression level and immune infiltration in ovarian cancer, especially with Treg cells, Monocytes, Macrophages and T cell exhaustion (P&lt;0.05). The CD47 expression level was relatively low in plasma cells, dendritic cells and Mono/Macro cells of OV_GSE115007, in myofibroblasts, fibroblasts and endothelial cells of OV_GSE118828, compared to malignant cells of OV_GSE118828 dataset. The cell components and distribution in primary and metastatic ovarian cancer are quite distinct, which may lead to TME heterogeneity of ovarian cancer.ConclusionOur results indicated that CD47 is closely correlated to ovarian cancer immune microenvironment and might induce ovarian cancer heterogeneity. Therefore, CD47 may be used as a candidate prognostic biomarker and provide us with new insights into potential immunotherapy in ovarian cancer patients.

scholarly journals Differential expression of the E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzyme UBE2T in cancers of the breast.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahan Mamoor
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Differential Expression ◽  
Survival Data ◽  
Normal Breast ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Luminal A ◽  
Significant Differential Expression ◽  
Primary Tumors ◽  
Ubiquitin Conjugating Enzyme ◽  
Conjugating Enzyme

Breast cancer affects women at relatively high frequency (1). We mined published microarray datasets (2, 3) to determine in an unbiased fashion and at the systems level genes most differentially expressed in the primary tumors of patients with breast cancer. We report here significant differential expression of the gene encoding the ubiquitin conjugating enzyme E2 T, UBE2T, when comparing primary tumors of the breast to the tissue of origin, the normal breast. UBE2T was also differentially expressed in the tumor cells of patients with triple negative breast cancer. UBE2T mRNA was present at significantly higher quantities in tumors of the breast as compared to normal breast tissue. Analysis of human survival data revealed that expression of UBE2T in primary tumors of the breast was correlated with overall survival in patients with basal and luminal A subtype cancer, but in a contrary manner. UBE2T may be of relevance to initiation, maintenance or progression of cancers of the female breast.

scholarly journals Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes Triggered by Aberrant Methylation in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Using Integrated Bioinformatic Analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuaijun Chen ◽  
Jun Zhang ◽  
Wanli Ma ◽  
Hong Ye
Keyword(s):  
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Differentially Expressed Genes ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Gene Set Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanism ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
Aberrant Methylation ◽  
Mrna Levels

Abstract BackgroundIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a relentlessly progressive and fatal fibrotic lung disease all over the world, and specific pathogenesis is still not well understood. DNA methylation is an essential epigenetic mechanism, which likely contributes to the progress of IPF. The purpose of this study is to identify aberrantly methylated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in IPF and to explore the underlying mechanisms of IPF by using integrated bioinformatics analysis.MethodGene expression profiles and gene methylation profile were downloaded and analyzed to identify the aberrantly methylated‐differentially expressed genes. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes Database (STRING) and Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were used to evaluate function of DEGs. RT-PCR was used to verify the mRNA levels of DEGs in mice with pulmonary fibrosis.ResultsBy analyzing the differentially expressed genes of the three IPF expression profiles, and taking the intersection, we got 143 co-upregulated genes and 104 co-downregulated genes; GO and KEGG pathway analysis of the DEGs suggested these genes involved in the extracellular matrix organization, multicellular organismal homeostasis. Combining the sequencing data of two IPF methylation chips, we have identified genes that may be regulated by methylation in IPF. Finally, we obtained the mRNA expression of DEGs using a mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis.ConclusionThrough integrated analysis and experimental verification, we found a series of biomarkers which were regulated by methylation should be potential therapeutic targets for IPF.

scholarly journals Long non-coding RNA, LINC01614 as a potential biomarker for prognostic prediction in breast cancer

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7976 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaozong Wang ◽  
Baorong Song ◽  
Leilei Zhu ◽  
Xia Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Prognostic Value ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Differential Expression Analysis ◽  
Gene Set Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Lncrna Expression ◽  
Normal Tissues ◽  
Potential Biomarker

Background Dysregulated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) may serve as potential biomarkers of cancers including breast cancer (BRCA). This study aimed to identify lncRNAs with strong prognostic value for BRCA. Methods LncRNA expression profiles of 929 tissue samples were downloaded from TANRIC database. We performed differential expression analysis between paired BRCA and adjacent normal tissues. Survival analysis was used to identify lncRNAs with prognostic value. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to confirm the independent prognostic value of potential lncRNAs. Dysregulated signaling pathways associated with lncRNA expression were evaluated using gene set enrichment analysis. Results We found that a total of 398 lncRNAs were significantly differentially expressed between BRCA and adjacent normal tissues (adjusted P value <= 0.0001 and |logFC| >= 1). Additionally, 381 potential lncRNAs were correlated Overall Survival (OS) (P value < 0.05). A total of 48 lncRNAs remained when differentially expressed lncRNAs overlapped with lncRNAs that had prognostic value. Among the 48 lncRNAs, one lncRNA (LINC01614) had stronger prognostic value and was highly expressed in BRCA tissues. LINC01614 expression was validated as an independent prognostic factor using univariate and multivariate analyses. Higher LINC01614 expression was observed in several molecular subgroups including estrogen receptors+, progesterone receptors+ and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)+ subgroup, respectively. Also, BRCA carrying one of four gene mutations had higher expression of LINC01614 including AOAH, CIT, HER2 and ODZ1. Higher expression of LINC01614 was positively correlated with several gene sets including TGF-β1 response, CDH1 signals and cell adhesion pathways. Conclusions A novel lncRNA LINC01614 was identified as a potential biomarker for prognosis prediction of BRCA. This study emphasized the importance of LINC01614 and further research should be focused on it.

scholarly journals Hsa_circ_0004831 serves as a blood-based prognostic biomarker for colorectal cancer and its potentially circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network construction

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Linlin Xing ◽  
Mengyan Xia ◽  
Xin Jiao ◽  
Ling Fan
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Regulatory Network ◽  
Prognostic Biomarker ◽  
Qpcr Assay ◽  
Gene Set Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Expression Level ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Tumorigenesis And Progression

Abstract Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignant tumor with unsatisfactory overall prognosis. CircRNAs could be promising prognostic biomarkers in cancers, and play important role in the process of tumorigenesis and progression. Here, we explored the role of hsa_circ_0004831 in blood extracellular vesicles and its prognostic value in CRC. Methods The circRNA and mRNA expression level matrix in extracellular vesicles of CRC and normal samples were obtained from the exoRBase database. The corresponding miRNA expression level matrix in extracellular vesicles was downloaded from the BBCancer database. Differentially expressed circRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs were identified using the limma package of R software at the cut-off criteria of fold change (FC) > 2 and adj. p < 0.05. RT-qPCR assay was conducted to measure hsa_circ_0004831 expression level in CRC blood samples. A circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network of hsa_circ_0004831 was constructed based on competitive endogenous RNA mechanism and differentially expressed genes. The mRNAs co-expressed with hsa_circ_0004831 were screened at the cut-off criteria of pearson |r| > 0.3 and p < 0.05. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) based on co-expressed mRNAs was used to explore the potential molecular function of hsa_circ_0004831. Results Differentially expressed circRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs were identified and hsa_circ_0004831 had a FC value of 3.92 in CRC blood extracellular vesicles. The RT-qPCR assay showed that the hsa_circ_0004831 was up-regulated in CRC blood samples. The overall survival analysis found that high expression of hsa_circ_0004831 was linked with poorer prognosis. Finally, a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network of hsa_circ_0004831 was constructed based on down-regulated miR-4326 and 12 up-regulated mRNAs. GSEA indicated that mRNAs co-expressed with hsa_circ_0004831 were involved in EMT, WNT and p53 signaling pathways. Conclusions The study confirmed the up-regulation of hsa_circ_0004831 in CRC, and it may act as a vital prognostic biomarker. The circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network of hsa_circ_0004831 could be used to uncover the tumorigenesis and progression of CRC.

scholarly journals Clinically Relevant Biomarker Discovery in High-Risk Recurrent Neuroblastoma

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 117693511983291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Utnes ◽  
Cecilie Løkke ◽  
Trond Flægstad ◽  
Christer Einvik
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Biomarker Discovery ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Response To Therapy ◽  
Gene Set Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Favorable Outcome ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Response To Treatment

Neuroblastoma is a pediatric cancer of the developing sympathetic nervous system. High-risk neuroblastoma patients typically undergo an initial remission in response to treatment, followed by recurrence of aggressive tumors that have become refractory to further treatment. The need for biomarkers that can select patients not responding well to therapy in an early phase is therefore needed. In this study, we used next generation sequencing technology to determine the expression profiles in high-risk neuroblastoma cell lines established before and after therapy. Using partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) with least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and leave-one-out cross-validation, we identified a panel of 55 messenger RNAs and 17 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) which were significantly altered in the expression between cell lines isolated from primary and recurrent tumors. From a neuroblastoma patient cohort, we found 20 of the 55 protein-coding genes to be differentially expressed in patients with unfavorable compared with favorable outcome. We further found a twofold increase or decrease in hazard ratios in these genes when comparing patients with unfavorable and favorable outcome. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed that these genes were involved in proliferation, differentiation and regulated by Polycomb group (PcG) proteins. Of the 17 lncRNAs, 3 upregulated ( NEAT1, SH3BP5-AS1, NORAD) and 3 downregulated lncRNAs ( DUBR, MEG3, DHRS4-AS1) were also found to be differentially expressed in favorable compared with unfavorable outcome. Moreover, using expression profiles on both miRNAs and mRNAs in the same cohort of cell lines, we found 13 downregulated and 18 upregulated experimentally observed miRNA target genes targeted by miR-21, -424 and -30e, -29b, -138, -494, - 181a, -34a, -29b, respectively. The advantage of analyzing biomarkers in a clinically relevant neuroblastoma model system enables further studies on the effect of individual genes upon gene perturbation. In summary, this study identified several genes, which may aid in the prediction of response to therapy and tumor recurrence.

scholarly journals Analysis of Long Non-Coding RNA Expression Profiles in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 2389-2400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Wang ◽  
Zhenhong Chen ◽  
Li An ◽  
Yajuan Wang ◽  
Zhijian Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Small Cell Lung Cancer ◽  
Cell Lung Cancer ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Small Cell ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Expression Level ◽  
Small Cell Lung ◽  
Normal Tissues ◽  
Nsclc Patients

Background/Aims: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in tumorigenesis. However, the role of lncRNA expression in human Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) biology, prognosis and molecular classification remains unknown. Methods: We established the IncRNA profile in NSCLC by re-annotation of microarrays from the Gene expression omnibus database. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine expression of LINC00342. Results: 6066 differentially expressed IncRNAs were identified and we found a novel IncRNA, LINC00342 was significantly up-regulated in NSCLC tissues compared with normal tissues. We confirmed the over-expression of LINC00342 in a cohort of NSCLC patients and found LINC00342 expression level was positively correlated with lymph node metastasis and TNM stages. Furthermore, in a large online database of 1942 NSCLC patients, high expression of LINC00342 indicated poor Overall survival (HR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.13-1.45) and post progression survival (HR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.09-1.88). Bioinformatics analyses showed that LINC00342 was co-expressed with different protein-coding genes in NSCLC and normal tissues. Additionally, gene set enrichment analyses found that PTEN and P53 pathways genes were enriched in the groups with higher LINC00342 expression level. By small interfering RNAs mediated silence of LINC00342, proliferation ability was significantly inhibited in lung cancer cell line. Conclusion: To summary, our findings indicate that a set of IncRNAs are differentially expressed in NSCLC and we characterized a novel IncRNA, LINC00342 which is significantly up-regulated in NSCLC and could be a prognostic biomarker.

scholarly journals Identification and validation of an immune-related prognostic signature and key gene in papillary thyroid carcinoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rujia Qin ◽  
Chunyan Li ◽  
Xuemin Wang ◽  
Zhaoming Zhong ◽  
Chuanzheng Sun
Keyword(s):  
Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma ◽  
Thyroid Carcinoma ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Tumor Therapy ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Expression Level ◽  
Papillary Thyroid ◽  
Ppi Network ◽  
Immune Activity

Abstract Background Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common pathological type of thyroid cancer. The effect of traditional anti-tumor therapy is not ideal for the patients with recurrence, metastasis and radioiodine resistance. The abnormal expression of immune-related genes (IRGs) has critical roles in the etiology of PTC. However, the effect of IRGs on PTC prognosis remains unclear. Methods Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and ImmPort databases, we integrated IRG expression profiles and progression-free intervals (PFIs) of PTC patients. First, we identified the differentially expressed IRGs and transcription factors (TFs) in PTC. Subsequently, an IRG model that can predict the PFI was constructed by using univariate Cox regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and multivariate Cox regression analyses of the differentially expressed IRGs in the TCGA. Additionally, a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network showed the interactions between the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and the top 30 genes with the highest degree were extracted from the network. Then, the key IRG was identified by the intersection analysis of the PPI network and univariate Cox regression, which was verified the differential expression of by western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC). ssGSEA was performed to understand the correlation between the key IRG expression level and immune activity. Results A total of 355 differentially expressed IRGs and 43 differentially expressed TFs were identified in PTC patients. Then, eight IRGs were finally utilized to construct an IRG model. The respective areas under the curve (AUCs) of the IRG model reached 0.948, 0.820, and 0.831 at 1, 3 and 5 years in the training set. In addition, lactotransferrin (LTF) was determined as the key IRG related to prognosis. The expression level of LTF in tumor tissues was significantly lower than that in normal tissues. And the results of ssGSEA showed the expression level of LTF is closely related to immune activity. Conclusions These findings show that the prognostic model and key IRG may become promising molecular markers for the prognosis of PTC patients.

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