Comprehensive Analysis on the Expression and Prognostic value of ITGA Family in Human Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Abstract

Background: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is the most common histological subtype of pancreatic cancer. Although dramatic progress has been made in multimodal therapies, PAAD still has a poor diagnosis and prognosis. The integrin α (ITGA) family genes play a fundamental role in different cancers. However, the potential values of ITGA family members in PAAD remain elusive. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between and ITGA family genes and PAAD.Methods: A variety of bioinformatic approaches, including UALCAN, GEPIA, Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database, Kaplan-Meier Plotter, cBioPortal, and STRING, which were used to analyze the potential roles of ITGA family members in human PAAD. The results were further verified in PAAD cell lines.Results: The transcriptional levels of ITGA 1/2/3/5/6/9/11 were up-regulated, whereas the expression of ITGA 4/8/10 were not obvious in patients with PAAD compared with that in normal pancreas. And a noticeable correlation was also discovered between the over-expressions of ITGA 2/3/5/6/11 and the clinical cancer stages of PAAD patients. Survival analysis revealed that the high mRNA expression of ITGA 2/3/5/6 and 11 were associated with overall survival (OS) in PAAD patients.Conclusion: Detection of ITGA genes has values in the diagnosis and prognosis of PAAD. ITGA 2/3/5/6/11 might serve as indicators of tumor stages of PAAD, while ITGA 2/5 may be new biomarkers for evaluating the prognosis of PAAD.