Anat Biol Anthropol.  2024 Mar;37(1):31-43. aba.2024.37.1.31.

ZNF821 as a Novel Prognostic Biomarker and its Correlation with Infiltrating Immune Cells in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

• Kang YJ
• Kim HR
• Kim J

• KMID: 2562475
• DOI: http://doi.org/aba.2024.37.1.31

Abstract

The Zinc Finger Protein 821 (ZNF821) is a human protein that contains the 23 amino acid peptide repeat domain. However, ZNF821 has not been examined as a predictive biomarker. This study evaluated ZNF821, a member of the ZNF domain family, as a prognostic biomarker of various human cancers, including pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD). We also identified a correlation between ZNF821 expression and immune cell infiltration in patients with PAAD. Bioinformatics analysis was performed using online databases such as the University of ALabama at Birmingham CANcer data analysis Portal database analysis, Tumor Immune Estimation Resource, Kaplan-Meier database plotter, LinkedOmics, and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis version 2. ZNF821 expression in PAAD samples was significantly lower than normal tissue. Additionally, ZNF821 expression was lower in nodal metastasis, primary tumor grade, tumor grade, and cancer stages. Lower ZNF821 expression was also associated with a poorer prognosis in PAAD. ZNF821 expression positively correlated with T cells (CD8 + and CD4 + ), neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells. In the analysis of the ZNF821 co-expression networks, positively related genes of ZNF821 were associated with a high hazard ratio in different types of cancer, including PAAD. Regarding the biological function of ZNF821, ZNF821 mainly participates in the neuropeptide signaling pathway, monoamine transport, and protein localization in the endoplasmic reticulum. These results suggest that ZNF821 may serve as a novel prognostic biomarker for PAAD diagnosis and provide novel insights into the cancer-immune system in PAAD.

Keyword

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma; ZNF821; Prognosis; Tumor-infiltrating immune cells