Comprehensive analysis reveals dual biological function roles of EpCAM in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma

作者：Mei Chen, Yuanhui Gao, Hui Cao, Zhenting Wang, Shufang Zhang · 发表于：Heliyon · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23505 · 被引用次数：4 · 研究领域：Ferroptosis and cancer prognosis、Cancer Cells and Metastasis、Immune cells in cancer

Background: Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), a well-established marker for circulating tumor cells, plays a crucial role in the complex process of cancer metastasis. The primary objective of this investigation is to study EpCAM expression in pan-cancer and elucidate its significance in the context of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC). Methods: Data obtained from the public database was harnessed for the comprehensive assessment of the EpCAM expression levels and prognostic and clinicopathological correlations in thirty-three types of cancer. EpCAM was validated in our own KIRC sequencing and immunohistochemical cohorts. Subsequently, an in-depth exploration was conducted to scrutinize the interrelationship between EpCAM and various facets, including immune cells, immune checkpoints, and chemotherapy drugs. We employed Cox regression analysis to identify prognostic immunomodulators associated with EpCAM, which were subsequently utilized in the development of a prognostic model. The model was validated in our own clinical cohort and public datasets, and compared with 137 published models. The role of EpCAM in KIRC was explored by biological function experiments in vitro. Results: While EpCAM exhibited pronounced overexpression across a wide spectrum of cancer types, a notable reduction was observed in KIRC tissues. As grade increased, EpCAM expression decreased. EpCAM expression decreased in patients without metastasis. EpCAM mRNA and protein levels were used a...