Comprehensive analysis of prognostic value and immune infiltration of CXC chemokines in pancreatic cancer

Background The prognosis of pancreatic cancer is poor, with a 5-year survival rate of less than 10%. Studies have shown that chemokines in the tumour microenvironment are often altered, which is associated with immune infiltration and the prognosis and survival of pancreatic cancer patients. Methods Multiomics and bioinformatics tools were used to clarify CXC chemokine expression and its role in the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) immune microenvironment. Results Most CXC chemokines were upregulated in pancreatic cancer and correlated with patient prognosis. CXC chemokines can activate cancer-related signalling pathways and affect immune infiltration. Furthermore, most CXC chemokines were significantly correlated with the abundance of macrophages, neutrophils and dendritic cells. CXCL5 was selected as a hub gene, and a variety of immune checkpoints, including PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4, were identified. Conclusion Our study provides novel insights into CXC chemokine expression and its role in the PDAC immune microenvironment. These results can provide more data about prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets of PDAC.