TY - JOUR T1 - Network analysis of genes associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression JF - Journal of Investigative Medicine JO - J Investig Med SP - 1365 LP - 1372 DO - 10.1136/jim-2021-002265 VL - 70 IS - 6 AU - Xu Li AU - Zhenkun Xia Y1 - 2022/08/01 UR - http://hw-f5-jim.highwire.org/content/70/6/1365.abstract N2 - This study aims to identify possible genes associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) by bioinformatics tool and further explore the function of immunoglobulin heavy chain variable family 4 gene (IGHV4)-28 in the ESCC progression.The ESCC-related genes in Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were analyzed by bioinformatics tools, which finally identified IGHV4-28. The expression levels of IGHV4-28 in TE-4 and EC9706 cells were detected by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). Then oe-IGHV4-28 or sh-IGHV4-28 was transfected into TE-4 and EC9706 cells to verify the effect on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis rate. In vivo, a nude mouse model of ESCC was developed, whereby the tumor volume and weight were calculated to evaluate the impact of IGHV4-8 on tumor growth.Bioinformatics analysis using TCGA database showed that IGHV4-28, IGLV6-57, and KPRP were all associated with ESCC progression. Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis showed overexpression of IGHV4-28 is substantially associated with the survival rate of patients with ESCC. IGHV4-28 was highly expressed in TE-4 and EC9706 cell lines and overexpression of IGHV4-28 enhanced cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, as well as decreased apoptosis rate. Moreover, nude mice transplanted with IGHV4-28-silencing TE-4 cells showed restrained tumor weight and volume.In summary, IGHV4-28 was increasingly expressed in ESCC and may serve as a therapeutic target in the treatment of ESCC.The datasets used or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. ER -