Evidence mapPaperPMID 41284167Full record

ArticleDiscover oncology2025

PDK4 as a tumor suppressor in gastric cancer: implications for metabolic regulation, immune modulation, and prognostic potential.

Jin Xu, Jie Sun, Nannan Zhang, Nan Sang, Buwei Teng, Wei He

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Article in Discover oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Jin Xu *Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangsu Province Geriatric Institute, Geriatric Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Jie Sun *Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangsu Province Geriatric Institute, Geriatric Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Nannan ZhangDepartment of Gastroenterology, Jiangsu Province Geriatric Institute, Geriatric Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Nan SangDepartment of Gastroenterology, Jiangsu Province Geriatric Institute, Geriatric Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Buwei TengDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Lianyungang, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, China. beyondtbw@126.com.
Wei HeDepartment of Gastroenterology, Jiangsu Province Geriatric Institute, Geriatric Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. bingbing_he@yeah.net.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveGastric cancer (GC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, with growing evidence implicating metabolic regulators in its progression. This study investigates the expression pattern, prognostic significance, molecular interactions, and immunomodulatory role of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) in GC.

methodsIntegrated bioinformatics analyses were conducted using RNA sequencing and clinical data from the TCGA-STAD and GSE54129 datasets. Differential gene expression analysis identified co-differentially expressed genes (co-DEGs). Functional enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction, competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network prediction, and immune infiltration analysis were performed. The clinical relevance of PDK4 was evaluated through survival analysis, Cox regression modeling, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

resultsPDK4 expression was significantly downregulated in GC tissues compared to normal controls (P < 0.001), while its high expression was associated with advanced tumor stage (P = 0.0322) and favorable prognosis (P = 0.0013). A total of 77 co-DEGs and PDK4-centered PPI networks highlighted its involvement in key metabolic pathways, including the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, AMPK signaling, and HIF-1 signaling. The ceRNA network analysis identified 135 miRNAs and 225 lncRNAs associated with PDK4, including KCNQ1OT1. Immune infiltration analysis revealed a positive correlation between PDK4 expression and B cell (r = 0.249) and CD4

conclusionPDK4 functions as a tumor suppressor in GC, bridging metabolic reprogramming, epigenetic regulation, and immune microenvironment remodeling. Its downregulation contributes to disease progression and immune evasion, underscoring its potential as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target. Restoring PDK4 activity may serve as a promising strategy to mitigate GC aggressiveness and therapeutic resistance.

Indexed as

Gastric cancerImmune infiltrationMetabolic reprogrammingPDK4Prognosis

Identifiers

PMID41284167
PMCPMC12644330

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.