Analysis of autophagy-related genes and associated noncoding RNAs and transcription factors in digestive system tumors

Aim: To investigate the autophagy-related gene (ATG) expression and the associated noncoding RNAs (ncRNA) and transcription factors (TF) in digestive system tumors (DST). Methods: We systematically investigated the ATG expression in DST by weighted gene correlation network analysis, crosstalk connection, functional analysis and Pivot analysis. Results: ATGs were clustered into six modules with co-expression in DST. Functional analysis revealed that six ATG-related modules were enriched in biological pathways involved in tumorigenesis. Pivot analysis identified key ncRNAs and TFs, which are essential for the pathogenesis, clinical diagnosis and treatment of DST. Conclusion: Our study highlights the crucial roles of ncRNA and TFs in the identification of potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets for DST.