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BCAT1: A risk factor in multiple cancers based on a pan-cancer analysis
Guo-Sheng Li1, He-Qing Huang1, Yao Liang1
1Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
Cancer Medicine
|January 5, 2022
Summary
Branched chain amino acid transaminase 1 (BCAT1) is overexpressed in pan-cancer, correlating with poor prognosis and potential for immunotherapy. This study provides new insights into BCAT1
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Genomics
Background:
- Branched chain amino acid transaminase 1 (BCAT1) is implicated in various tumors.
- Previous research has not comprehensively evaluated BCAT1's role across multiple cancer types (pan-cancer).
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of BCAT1 expression, its underlying mechanisms, and clinical significance.
- To explore BCAT1's potential as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target in cancer.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a large dataset of 16,847 samples for pan-cancer analysis.
- Employed statistical tests (Kruskal-Wallis, Wilcoxon) for differential expression analysis.
- Applied correlation analyses (Spearman), survival analyses (Cox, Kaplan-Meier), and ROC curves (AUC) to assess clinical significance.
Main Results:
- Detected differential BCAT1 expression across various cancers, linked to DNA methyltransferases and mismatch repair genes.
- Found associations between BCAT1 expression, immune checkpoint inhibitors, microsatellite instability, and tumor mutational burden.
- Demonstrated BCAT1's prognostic significance, acting as a risk factor in multiple cancers and showing diagnostic potential (AUC > 0.7).
- Confirmed BCAT1 upregulation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma at both mRNA and protein levels.
Conclusions:
- This study is the first to comprehensively demonstrate BCAT1 overexpression in pan-cancer, enhancing understanding of its pathogenesis.
- Upregulated BCAT1 expression is associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients.
- BCAT1 serves as a potential biomarker for cancer immunotherapy and diagnosis.
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