Comprehensive Analysis Revealed that CDKN2A is a Biomarker for Immune Infiltrates in Multiple Cancers

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Cancer Genomics
• Immunology

Background:

• The CDKN2A gene, also known as P16 or MTS1, encodes a protein in the INK4 family.
• CDKN2A exhibits elevated expression in tumor tissues compared to normal tissues.
• CDKN2A expression levels are associated with patient prognosis in various cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze CDKN2A expression in 33 tumor types.
• To investigate the correlation between CDKN2A expression and clinical parameters, patient prognosis, and tumor immunity.
• To explore the role of CDKN2A in immune cell infiltration and related pathways.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of CDKN2A expression across 33 distinct tumor types.
• Correlation analysis with clinical parameters, tumor mutation burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (MSI).
• Assessment of association with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and immune cell infiltrates using enrichment analysis.

Main Results:

• CDKN2A expression significantly correlated with TMB in 10 tumor types.
• CDKN2A expression correlated with MSI in 10 tumor types.
• CDKN2A expression was associated with TIL levels in 22 pancancers and linked to various immune cell infiltrates.
• Enrichment analysis revealed involvement in natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity, antigen processing, olfactory transduction, and autophagy pathways.

Conclusions:

• CDKN2A expression is linked to tumor mutation burden, microsatellite instability, and overall tumor immunity.
• CDKN2A is associated with immune cell infiltration across a wide range of cancers.
• CDKN2A shows potential as a prognostic biomarker and is implicated in the tumor immune microenvironment.