Identification Of The Molecular Targets And Immunophenotype Of Gastric Cancer By Bioinformatics Analysis

Abstract Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is the most lethal tumor of gastrointestinal tract worldwide. Despite advances in various therapies, the prognosis of GC remains poor. Moreover, only a small fraction of GC patients benefit from immunotherapy. Therefore, it is urgent to deeply understand the molecular characteristics and immunophenotype of GC. Methods: We analyzed the gene expression profile of GSE118916 from GEO database, including the mRNA expression profiles of 15 pairs of GC tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissues. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the online website DAVID. And then the survival prediction values of the top 10 up-regulated genes were analyzed using Kaplan–Meier plotter database. Finally, the immune cells infiltration was analyzed using CIBERSORT online tool.Results: A total of 1156 DEGs were identified, including 633 up-regulated genes and 523 down-regulated genes. The up-regulated genes were mainly enriched in cell adhesion, proliferation, migration and inflammation response. In addition, the up-regulated genes were significantly enriched in acid metabolism, complement and coagulation cascades, cell adhesion and p53 signaling pathway, which were all significant in tumor progression, relapse and metastasis. In addition, the up-regulated genes CTSL and PIEZO1 were associated with poor prognosis in GC patients. Moreover, a unique immune-suppressive microenvironment was identified in GC tissues. Conclusions: CTSL and PIEZO1 might be potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in GC patients.