High Expression of PLOD1 Drives Tumorigenesis and Affects Clinical Outcome in Gastrointestinal Carcinoma

Background:PLOD1 (procollagen-lysine, 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase 1) is important for extracellular matrix formation and is involved in various diseases, including cancer; however, its role in gastrointestinal cancer is unclear. In this study, the expression of PLOD1 in gastrointestinal carcinoma and its relationships with patient survival were examined. Materials and Methods: Sample expression profiles were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and methylation data were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas. Correlations between PLOD1 expression and clinicopathological features were analyzed by chi-square tests. Patient survival was evaluated by a Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results:PLOD1 expression was upregulated in gastric cancer and colorectal cancer compared with that in normal tissues. High PLOD1 levels indicated a poor prognosis. High methylation group had a significantly lower level of PLOD1 expression. Conclusion: These results indicated that PLOD1 is highly expressed in gastrointestinal carcinoma and is a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target. The data also indicate that hypomethylation contributes to PLOD1 upregulation in gastric and colon cancers.