Abstract:

Objective To investigate the differential expression of the IFI27 gene across various cancers and evaluate its potential as a prognostic biomarker. Methods A pan-cancer analysis was conducted using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA) database, incorporating multiple online tools and R software to analyze IFI27 expression in 33 types of cancer, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, prostate cancer, and others. The study assessed the relationship between IFI27 gene mutations, DNA methylation, and mRNA expression levels, as well as the correlation between IFI27 expression and tumor immune infiltration. Additionally, the interacting genes of IFI27 were subjected to KEGG and GO enrichment analysis. Results Based on integrated analysis using TIMER2.0 and GEPIA2, IFI27 expression was significantly upregulated in 12 types of cancer tissues, while it was downregulated in 3 types. IFI27 mutations were primarily characterized by copy number variations, and its mRNA expression level was negatively correlated with promoter methylation. Moreover, IFI27 expression was significantly positively correlated with CD8⁺ T cell infiltration in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and uveal melanoma. In prostate cancer and thyroid cancer, the infiltration level of tumor-associated fibroblasts was influenced by IFI27 expression, with a positive correlation observed between them. Conclusion The expression of IFI27 is significantly upregulated in various cancers compared to normal tissues and has an impact on patient survival outcomes. IFI27 may serve as a prognostic biomarker for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, thymoma, uveal melanoma, skin cutaneous melanoma, low-grade glioma, and ovarian serous adenocarcinoma.

Key words: interferon alpha-inducible protein 27(IFI27), oncogene, survival rate, copy number variation, immune cell infiltration