Identification of Key Pathways and Genes Downstream of Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 in Thyroid Carcinoma.

Abstract

Introduction: Thyroid carcinoma (THCA) is the most common endocrine tumor worldwide. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) is a polypeptide hormone with a high degree of structural similarity to human proinsulin. Materials and Methods: We used online data to investigate the expression pattern of IGF1 in THCA. We also identified gene signatures and pathways downstream of IGF1 to elucidate potential mechanisms. Further analysis identified critical hub genes and pathways using the STRING database and the DAVID online tool. We analyzed gene expression and the prognostic quality of hub genes using the GEPIA online tool and the Human Protein Atlas website. Results: IGF1 expression was found to be downregulated in THCA tissues, both those in the TCGA database and in tissues recovered during surgery at our hospital. All samples from the THCA-TCGA dataset were divided into IGF1 high- and low-expression groups. We identified 1014 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the two groups. Functional enrichment analysis showed that DEGs were mainly concentrated in immune response, cell adhesion, and cancer-related pathways. We then identified the top hub genes and performed a prognostic analysis to identify the most critical genes. The expression levels of FN1, MMP9, and CD40LG correlated with disease prognosis. Finally, we confirmed the expression levels of these genes using the HPA website. Conclusion: Our results identified potential key genes and pathways downstream of IGF1 in THCA, providing insight into the mechanisms underlying the development of THCA.