International Journal of General Medicine (Jul 2022)
DOCK4 as a Potential Biomarker Associated with Immune Infiltration in Stomach Adenocarcinoma: A Database Analysis
Abstract
Yi Lu,1 Jiaxi Yu,1 Qiuping Dong,2 Yan Du,3 Zheng Liang1 1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cancer Cell Biology, Tianjin’s Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Operating Theatre, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Zheng Liang, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8618802230827, Email [email protected]: The involvement of dedicator for cytokinesis 4 (DOCK4), a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rac1, in immune infiltration in stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) remains unclear.Methods: The UALCAN database was used to analyze the expression of the DOCK family. The Kaplan–Meier method and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) databases were used to assess the prognostic value of the DOCK family in STAD. Furthermore, the correlation between expression of DOCK4 as well as other immune-related marker genes and tumor immune infiltration in STAD was explored using the TIMER and GEPIA websites. Subsequently, the relationship between DOCK4 expression and clinical characteristics was verified using the UALCAN database. Finally, DOCK4 mutation was analyzed via the TIMER2.0 and cBioPortal databases and the DOCK4 protein-protein interaction networks were constructed using the GeneMANIA and STRING websites.Results: DOCK4 was found to be a new prognostic biomarker in STAD. DOCK4 expression in tumors was thoroughly evaluated relative to paracancerous tissues; overexpression of DOCK4 had a negative impact on the prognosis of patients with STAD. DOCK4 was found to be significantly associated with tumor immune infiltration in STAD.Conclusion: In summary, DOCK4 is a potential regulator of the recruitment and regulation of immune-infiltrating cells, thus serving as a valuable prognostic biomarker in STAD.Keywords: DOCK4, stomach adenocarcinoma, immune infiltration, prognostic biomarker, TME
