Comprehensive Analysis of Prognostic Factors and Immune Infiltration in the CMTMs Family in Human Pancreatic Cancer

Abstract

Background: The chemokine-like factor-like MARVEL transmembrane domain-containing family (CMTMs), a newly identified gene family, has been associated with reproduction, immunity, and the development of various cancer types, among other regulatory mechanisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between CMTM expression levels and prognosis and immune infiltration in pancreatic cancer. Methods: We comprehensively analyzed the prognosis and immune infiltration of pancreatic cancer patients associated with the CMTMs using online databases such as Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), Kaplan-Meier (KM) Plotter, cBioPortal, Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), Gene Multiple Association Network Integration Algorithm (GeneMANIA), Search Tool for Recurring Instances of Neighbouring Genes (STRING), and Metascape. Results: The results indicate that CMTM family genes are involved in multiple biological pathways in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) patients. Chemokine-like factor (CKLF), CMTM1, CMTM2, CMTM3, and CMTM6 were negatively correlated with overall survival (OS) in PAAD patients, whereas low expression of CMTM1, CMTM3, CMTM6, and CMTM7 was associated with favorable recurrence-free survival (RFS). With the exception of CMTM8, the expression levels of other members of the CMTM family correlated with the infiltration of various immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Conclusions: This research highlights that members of the CMTMs serve as potential prognostic markers for pancreatic cancer and suggests avenues for further immunotherapy investigation.