Interferon Regulatory Factor 4 (IRF4) is a Prognostic Marker and Related to Immune Infiltration in Breast and Colorectal Cancers

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p><jats:bold>Background: </jats:bold>Interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) is a transcription factor that involves in immune cells differentiation. However, it is not clear the relationship between IRF4 and tumor prognosis and immune infiltration.<jats:bold>Methods: </jats:bold>IRF4 expression levels in different cancers and corresponding normal tissues were analyzed by Oncomine database and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER). The prognosis value of IRF4 was assessed by PrognoScan and Kaplan-Meier plotter. The correlation between IRF4 and tumor-infiltrating immune cells and immune cells markers was performed by TIMER and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA). In addition, we explored the genes regulated by IRF4 in Gene Transcription Regulation Database (GTRD) and then put the above genes in Enrich online tool for Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analysis.<jats:bold>Results: </jats:bold>Decreased expression levels of IRF4<jats:bold> </jats:bold>were observed in breast and colorectal<jats:bold> </jats:bold>cancers. Survival analysis shown that high level of IRF4 was associated with better prognostic outcome in breast and colorectal<jats:bold> </jats:bold>cancer patients. IRF4 expression was positively correlated with infiltrating levels of B cells, CD8+ T cells, T cells (general), dendritic cells (DCs), Th1, T cell exhaustion and monocytes, and immune cells markers. Beside, functional enrichment analysis of the potential genes regulated by IRF4 indicated that IRF4 may be involved in many important biological processes including immune regulation by regulating various genes.<jats:bold>Conclusions: </jats:bold>High expression of IRF4 shown better prognostic outcome for breast and colorectal cancers. IRF4 was associated with<jats:bold> </jats:bold>immune infiltration in<jats:bold> </jats:bold>breast and colorectal cancers.<jats:bold> </jats:bold>Therefore, IRF4 maybe serve as a potential prognostic biomarker in<jats:bold> </jats:bold>breast and colorectal cancers with immune infiltration.</jats:p>