Abstract
BACKGROUND: The heterogeneity of colorectal cancer (CRC) necessitates a comprehensive understanding of its pathogenesis and the identification of potential therapeutic targets. This research aims to report on PCED1A, a gene that has not been reported in any cancer, and to focus on investigating its role in CRC. METHODS: In the present study, the CRC expression profiles and associated clinical data from the TCGA database were utilized as the test set, complemented by three GEO datasets serving as the validation cohort. A thorough examination of PC-esterase domain-containing protein 1 A (PCED1A) was undertaken, including differential expression, ROC analysis, clinical correlation, survival analysis, subgroup analysis, co-expression, pathway enrichment, immune infiltration, and the development of a clinical prediction model. Finally, expression validation was also conducted through immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Differential expression analysis revealed that PCED1A is abnormally highly expressed in CRC and shows consistency across various cancer types. ROC analysis suggested that the gene possesses good diagnostic efficacy. The survival analysis showed that elevated PCED1A expression is strongly linked to a poor prognosis. The clinical prediction model, constructed from PCED1A and various clinical factors, could also more accurately predict the survival outcomes of CRC patients. Furthermore, the association of PCED1A expression with clinical-pathological features such as cancer subtype, race, and advanced clinical stages indicates its potential role in the molecular heterogeneity of CRC. The enrichment analysis suggested that the oncogenic mechanism of PCED1A might involve the modulation of the Notch and Wnt signaling pathways to impact tumor immune response. Finally, the abnormal high expression of PCED1A in CRC was validated by three GEO datasets and CRC cancer tissue specimens. CONCLUSION: This investigation observes an abnormally high expression of PCED1A in CRC. The gene not only shows promise in CRC for both diagnostic and prognostic purposes but also displays robust correlations with clinical-pathological characteristics. PCED1A has the potential to become a new biomarker for precision individualized treatment in CRC.