Abstract
BACKGROUND: High HNRNPA2B1 expression has been previously observed in diverse tumor types. On this basis, the present work focused on exploring the effects of HNRNPA2B1 on pan-cancer occurrence and progression, as well as its potential functions and molecular regulatory mechanisms. METHODS: HNRNPA2B1 gene expression, protein expression, Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) stage, and survival prognosis in thirty-three different tumors across thirty-three tumors were analyzed via The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, which included 9,664 cancer tissues and 711 normal tissues, with R software (version 3.6.3). A series of bioinformatics analyses were performed to determine the relationships between the expression of HNRNPA2B1-associated genes and prognosis, DNA promoter methylation, phosphorylation status and immune cell infiltration. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed to elucidate gene functions. Cancer and corresponding para-cancerous samples were confirmed via immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: This study confirmed that HNRNPA2B1 overexpression was associated with cancer development and a dismal prognosis in multiple types of cancer. Mutation and amplification were the main types of alterations in bladder urothelial carcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma, respectively. The phosphorylation and methylation levels of HNRNPA2B1 were linked to multiple tumor types. Furthermore, the HNRNPA2B1 expression level was positively correlated with infiltration degree in CESC, LIHC, HNSC-HPV(+), and MESO-associated fibroblasts in TCGA. In addition, nine Chinese herbal medicines and ten Chinese medicinal plant components targeting HNRNPA2B1 were identified. CONCLUSIONS: HNRNPA2B1 affects tumor occurrence and progression. The expression of HNRNPA2B1 may serve as a reliable prognostic marker as well as a potential therapeutic target.