Clinical Value Evaluation of SKA3 in Endometrial Cancer and Its Promotion of Proliferation and Migration of Endometrial Cancer Cells

Abstract

Background: Endometrial cancer is one of the common cancers in gynecology, which seriously endangers women’s reproductive health. Therefore, it is urgent to search for new diagnostic and prognostic monitoring markers for endometrial cancer. This study aimed to explore the clinical significance and biological role of spindle and kinetochore-associated complex subunit 3 (SKA3) in endometrial cancer. Methods: Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were conducted to identify the key gene in endometrial cancer. The clinical significance of SKA3 within endometrial cancer was assessed through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves. Spearman correlation analysis, the STRING database, Cytoscape software, and the molecular complex detection (MCODE) algorithm were employed to investigate genes associated with SKA3. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were carried out for elucidating the functional role and pathways involving SKA3. The cBioPortal online platform was utilized to explore mutations in SKA3. The biological effects of SKA3 were further investigated through Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) and cell scratch experiments. Results: SKA3 emerges as a pivotal gene in endometrial cancer, exhibiting a statistically significant high expression level. Its area under the curve (AUC) for diagnosing endometrial cancer stands at 0.943. Patients displaying elevated SKA3 expression demonstrated a notably poorer prognosis. In the context of endometrial cancer, 9 genes directly interact with SKA3. The functional pathway of SKA3 in endometrial cancer likely involves the mitotic pathway. The alterations observed in SKA3 in endometrial cancer primarily manifest as “mutations”. Specifically, SKA3 exhibits 26 mutation sites in endometrial cancer, distributed across 7 distinct regions and involving 4 mutation types. Furthermore, SKA3 is implicated in promoting the proliferation and migration of HEC-1A cells. Conclusion: SKA3, a key gene in endometrial cancer, holds significant diagnostic and prognostic value and may influence the progression in endometrial cancer.