PCDHGA10 as a potential prognostic biomarker and correlated with immune infiltration in gastric cancer

Background Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumors and is associated with poor prognosis. To improve the prognosis of GC patients, an effective immune-related prognostic biomarker is urgent. Here, we aim to explore the correlation between the expression of procalcitonin gamma subfamily A, 10 (PCDHGA10) and clinicopathological characteristics, especially its relation with tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TILs) in GC.Methods The differential mRNA expression of PCDHGA10 between GC tissues and normal gastric mucosa and prognostic potential were assessed from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Then, based on tissue microarrays (TMAs) with multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) from GC patients, we statistically assess the correlation between PCDHGA10 protein expression and the clinical profiles and prognosis of the patients. Additionally, with IHC and mIHC, we applied the machine-learning algorithms to evaluate the localization and expression levels of TILs and immune checkpoints in the tumor microenvironment. We analyzed the relationship between PCDHGA10 protein expression and TILs and immune checkpoints.Results Through the database and TMA analysis, the expression of PCDHGA10 was significantly higher in GC tissues compared with normal tissues. High PCDHGA10 expression independently predicted poor prognosis in GC. Additionally, elevated PCDHGA10 expression was positively associated with the number of CD8+ T cells, CD68+ macrophages, Foxp3+ T cells, and CD4+ T cells in GC tissues and the stromal region. Besides, the expression of PCDHGA10 was positively correlated with immune checkpoints, including CTLA-4, LAG3, and PD-L1.Conclusions PCDHGA10 might be a potential prognostic marker and an immunological therapeutic target for GC.