Purpose: The effect of scinderin (SCIN) on cancer progression has been studied, but its role in glioma remains unknown. This study describes the value of SCIN for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of glioma.
Methods: The expression of SCIN was analyzed using the GEPIA, Oncomine, cBioPortal, and CGGA databases. GO/KEGG enrichment analysis of similar genes to SCIN were performed using the R software package, and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was analyzed by the STRING and GeneMANIA databases. The correlations of mRNA expression between SCIN and MMP2/9 were analyzed by TCGA glioma. Simultaneously, the TISIDB and TIMER databases were used to analyze the correlation between SCIN and immune infiltration. Finally, SCIN and MMP2/9 protein expression among different grades of glioma was performed and the results were obtained via immunohistochemistry and Western blot assays. We used the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model to assess the impact of SCIN and MMP2/9 on glioma patients' survival. The correlations between SCIN and MMP2/9 were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot assays.
Results: SCIN was upregulated in glioma patients with a poor prognosis. The GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed the functional relationship between SCIN and the immune cell activation and regulation. In addition, the expression of SCIN was related to MMP2/9 in glioma. The correlation analysis showed that SCIN expression was associated with tumor purity and immune infiltration. SCIN and MMP2/9 are negative prognostic factors resulting in worsening glioma patients' survival.
Conclusion: Our studies demonstrated that SCIN expression was associated with MMP2/9, immune infiltration, and a poor prognosis in glioma. SCIN may serve as a potential prognostic marker and an immune therapy target for glioma.
Keywords: MMP2; MMP9; glioma; immune infiltration; prognosis; scinderin.