AQP1 as a novel biomarker to predict prognosis and tumor immunity in glioma patients

Abstract

Abstract Background Glioma is a kind of nervous system cancer with a low overall survival rate. Aquaporin 1 (AQP1) is linked to a number of cancers. Its prognostic relevance and immunological consequences in gliomas, however, are unclear. Objectives Our objective was to thoroughly examine the modified expression of AQP1, its prognostic significance, and its correlation with immune cells and markers to discover innovative molecular immunotherapy strategies for glioma patients. Methods RNA sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases were used. In addition, we used real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western Blot methods to monitor AQP1 expression in glioma tissues. Results AQP1 expression was greater in gliomas than in traumatized brain tissues. The increased AQP1 expression in gliomas was additionally confirmed through immunohistochemical analysis in the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) repository. An elevated level of AQP1 expression was identified as a separate determinant of the overall survival (OS) and prognosis of individuals with glioma. AQP1 expression was shown to be tightly linked to the tumor immune milieu, immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and temozolomide drug reaction. In conclusion, the 50 genes that show coexpression with AQP1 indicate that the predominant functions and pathways are related to anterior pattern specification, pattern specification, regionalization, high-density lipoprotein particles, protein–lipid complexes, glycosaminoglycan binding, DNA-binding transcription repressor specific activation to RNA polymerase II, DNA-binding transcription repressor activity, nitrogen metabolism, alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, and fat digestion and absorption. Conclusions The results indicate that AQP1 could serve as both a predictive marker and a potential treatment target in glioma.