Multicomponent comprehensive confirms that erythroferrone is a molecular biomarker of pan-cancer

Ying Cai; Yaling Gao; Yinyin Lv; Zhiyuan Chen; Lingfeng Zhong; Junjie Chen; Yanyun Fan

Heliyon (Mar 2024)

Multicomponent comprehensive confirms that erythroferrone is a molecular biomarker of pan-cancer

Ying Cai,
Yaling Gao,
Yinyin Lv,
Zhiyuan Chen,
Lingfeng Zhong,
Junjie Chen,
Yanyun Fan

Affiliations

Ying Cai: Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China; Xiamen Key Laboratory of intestinal microbiome and human health, Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China
Yaling Gao: Department of Xia He, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China
Yinyin Lv: Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China; Xiamen Key Laboratory of intestinal microbiome and human health, Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China
Zhiyuan Chen: Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China; Xiamen Key Laboratory of intestinal microbiome and human health, Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China
Lingfeng Zhong: Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China; Xiamen Key Laboratory of intestinal microbiome and human health, Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China
Junjie Chen: Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China; Xiamen Key Laboratory of intestinal microbiome and human health, Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China
Yanyun Fan: Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China; Xiamen Key Laboratory of intestinal microbiome and human health, Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China; Corresponding author. Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 10, no. 5
p. e26990

Abstract

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All vertebrates organisms produce erythroferrone, a secretory hormone with structure-related functions during iron homeostasis. However, limited knowledge exists regarding the effect of this hormone on the occurrence and progression of cancer. To systematically and comprehensively identify the diverse implications of Erythroferrone (ERFE) in various malignant tumors, we conducted an in-depth analysis of multiple datasets, including the expression levels of oncogenes and target proteins, biological functions, and molecular characteristics. This analysis aimed to assess the diagnostic and prognostic value of ERFE in pan-cancer. Our findings revealed a significant elevation in ERFE expression across 20 distinct cancer types, with notable increases in gastrointestinal cancers. Utilizing the Cytoscape and STRING databases, we identified 35 ERFE-targeted binding proteins. Survival prognosis studies, particularly gastrointestinal cancers indicated by Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD), demonstrated a poor prognosis in patients with high ERFE expression (p 0.9). Understanding the roles and interactions of ERFE in biological processes can also be aided by examining the genes co-expressed with ERFE in the coat and ranking the top 50 positive and negative genes. In the correlation analysis between the ERFE gene and different immune cells in COAD, we discovered that the expression of ERFE was positively correlated with Th1 cells, cytotoxic cells, and activated DC (aDC) abundance, and negatively correlated with Tcm (T central memory) abundance (P < 0.001). in summary, ERFE emerges as strongly associated with various malignant cancers, positioning it as a prospective biological target for cancer treatment. It stands out as a key molecular biomarker for diagnosing and prognosticating pancreatic cancer, also serves as an independent prognostic risk factor for COAD.

Published in Heliyon

ISSN: 2405-8440 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Science (General); Social Sciences: Social sciences (General)
Website: https://www.cell.com/heliyon/home

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