Identification of a HAGLR/miR-338-3p/GALNT2 regulatory axis in laryngocarcinoma based on bioinformatics analysis

Abstract

Abstract GALNT2 is associated with the occurrence and development of many tumors, but its role in laryngeal carcinoma has not been studied. This study used TCGA and GEO databases to analyze GALNT2 expression in laryngeal cancer and adjacent tissues. Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and RT-qPCR were used to validate results. Survival analysis assessed the impact of GALNT2 expression on patient prognosis. KEGG and GSEA enrichment analyses identified biological pathways associated with GALNT2. CIBERSORT algorithm examined the effect of GALNT2 on tumor immune cell infiltration. ENCORI database built a ceRNA network. TIMER2.0 database studied GALNT2 expression in various tumors. The results find that GALNT2 is highly expressed in laryngeal cancer patients and has prognostic implications. Enrichment analysis showed that GALNT2 is involved in various carcinogenic pathways. GALNT2 expression levels were significantly correlated with immune cell and immune checkpoint content in the tumor microenvironment. The HAGLR/miR-338-3p/GALNT2 regulatory axis may affect laryngeal cancer development. GALNT2 expression levels also differed significantly among other tumor types, as shown in our pan-cancer analysis. GALNT2 is a significant factor in the prognosis and immune cell infiltration of laryngeal cancer patients, indicating its potential as a useful prognostic marker for laryngeal cancer.