ACAT2 may be a novel predictive biomarker and therapeutic target in lung
adenocarcinoma
Abstract
Background: Acyl-coenzyme A cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) is a
membrane-binding enzyme, which localizes in the endoplasmic reticulum.
ACAT2 can promote the progression of colon cancer, but its efficacy in
lung adenocarcinoma(LUAD) remains uncertain. Method: Analysis of ACAT2
expression was performed using TIMER2.0 database. The GEPIA database was
utilized to analyze the correlation between ACAT2 expression and
pathological stage of the tumour. The Kaplan-Meier analysis was
performed to analyze its potential in clinical prognosis. The
correlation between expression of ACAT2 and functional status of
different tumours was analyzed in the CancerSEA database and displayed
as a heatmap. Molecular interaction network analysis performed with the
STRING tool. Results: High ACAT2 expression was associated with a poor
DFS and OS in LUAD patients. Cox regression analysis indicated that the
poor outcomes might be related to tumour stage, nodal stage, distant
metastatic stage. ACAT2 was involved in many biological processes
including the cell cycle, DNA repair, DNA damage, and proliferation.
Enrichment pathway analysis revealed four ACAT2 related genes, ACOX1,
EHHADH, OXCT1, DLAT.