Abstract
BACKGROUND: Collagen type X alpha 1 (COL10A1) is a structural component of the extracellular matrix that is aberrantly expressed in a variety of cancer tissues. However, its role in pancreatic cancer progression is not well understood. METHODS: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and Gene Expression Profiling Interaction Analysis (GEPIA) data were employed to explore the expression of COL10A1 in normal and tumor tissues and its prognostic value in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The clinical data of pancreatic cancer in TCGA were used to explore the relationship between COL10A1 and clinical features. Genes coexpressed with COL10A1 were explored using multiple databases and analyzed for functional enrichment. In addition, the lncRNA/miRNA/COL10A1 axis that may be involved in COL10A1 regulation in pancreatic cancer was explored by constructing a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory axis. Finally, COL10A1 was analyzed for correlation with immune cell infiltration and various immune checkpoint molecules in pancreatic cancer. RESULTS: It was found that the expression of COL10A1 was significantly increased in pancreatic cancer tissues. High expression of COL10A1 was related to the clinicopathological characteristics and the worse prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients. The TUG1/miR-144-3p/COL10A1 axis was identified as the most likely upstream noncoding RNA pathway for COL10A1 in pancreatic cancer. Besides, in pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the expression level of COL10A1 showed a significant positive correlation with tumor immune cell infiltration, biomarkers of immune cells, and expression of immune checkpoint molecules. CONCLUSION: COL10A1 is an early diagnostic marker, and its high expression correlates with immune infiltration in pancreatic cancer. The TUG1/miR-144-3p/COL10A1 axis was identified as the most likely upstream noncoding RNA pathway for COL10A1 in pancreatic cancer.