KIF4A is a promising prognostic marker and correlates with immune infiltration in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Transl Cancer Res. 2020 Nov;9(11):7165-7173. doi: 10.21037/tcr-20-1937.

Abstract

Background: Kinesin family member 4A (KIF4A) belongs to the kinesin family. It has been found to promote the proliferation and invasion of tumor cells and correlates with the poor prognosis of different types of human cancers. However, the expression and prognostic value of KIF4A in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and its correlation with tumor-infiltrating immune cells are currently unclear.

Methods: Here, we analyzed the expression data of KIF4A in different types of tumors on the TIMER database. The Kaplan-Meier curve was utilized to reveal the correlation between KIF4A expression and the clinical prognosis of ccRCC patients. UALCAN database was utilized to evaluate the relationship between KIF4A expression and the clinicopathological features of ccRCC patients. In addition, the correlation between KIF4A expression and the abundance of immune infiltrates, as well as gene markers of tumor-infiltrating immune cells was determined on the TIMER database.

Results: Various types of malignant tumors, including kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), show high levels of KIF4A expression. The high expression of KIF4A was correlated with the worse prognosis, advanced clinical stage, poorer differentiation, and higher levels of immune infiltration in KIRC.

Conclusions: In summary, KIF4A is a promising prognostic marker and correlates with immune infiltration in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. However, further molecular and cellular experimental evidence is required to validate these conclusions.

Keywords: KIF4A; clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC); immune infiltration; prognosis.