m6A regulators are differently expressed and correlated with immune response of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND

N6 methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation regulators play a key role in the occurrence and development of many tumors. However, the function of N6 methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation regulators in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) has not been fully clarified.

METHODS

We used data set from GEPIA 2, UALCAN, TIMER, TISIDB, CBioPortal database to analyze the gene expression of 20 major m6A RNA methylation regulators.

RESULTS

Our study revealed that the irregularity of m6A regulators were associated with poor prognosis in PAAD. Meantime, 13 m6A regulators showed high expression in PAAD samples (ALKBH5, ELAVL1, FTO, HNRNPC, IGF2BP2, METTL14, METTL16 (METT10D), RBM15, VIRMA (KIAA1429), YTHDF1, YTHDF2, YTHDF3 and ZC3H13). In these regulators, we evaluated HNRNPC and IGF2BP2 were significantly correlated with worse outcomes and ALKBH5, IGF2BP2, METTL16 (METT10D), RBM15 were significantly correlated with PAAD in advanced stage. Moreover, we showed m6A regulators is correlated with Immuno-regulators' (Immunoinhibitors, Immunostimulators and MHC molecules) expression and levels of immune infiltration in PAAD. Bioinformatics further demonstrate m6A regulators were participated in revising in RNA processing.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study investigated that the m6A regulatory factors may serve as a biomarker and a potential target of immunotherapy for PAAD.