NDRG1/2 as a prognostic predictive biomarker of cervical cancer and its correlation with immune infiltration.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer (CC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death in women. The N-myc down-stream regulatory gene (NDRG) family has an unclear prognostic role in CC. METHODS: We analyzed NDRG mRNA and protein levels in CC using public databases. And NDRG1 expression was verified through immunohistochemistry in clinical samples. Additionally, we utilized other bioinformatics tools to analyze the correlations between NDRG and survival, as well as immune infiltration. RESULTS: NDRG1 was elevated, and NDRG2 was reduced in CC tissues. High NDRG1 and low NDRG2/3 correlated with poorer survival and were associated with reduced immune cell infiltration, particularly CD8+ T cells. Genetic alterations in NDRG1/2/3 were primarily amplifications, while DNA hypomethylation of NDRG1 in CC tissues, particularly at specific CpG sites, was associated with prognosis. PPI and enrichment analyses implicated NDRGs in metabolic processes, HIF-1 signaling, and immune regulation, underscoring their roles in CC progression and prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: NDRG1/2 present potential as new prognostic biomarkers, shedding light on therapeutic targets for CC.