Krt78, a member of the keratin gene family, is likely involved in processes related to keratinization and epithelial cell structure and function. Keratins play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of epithelial tissues [5].

In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), the expression levels of Krt78 were found to be down-regulated. Its expression correlated with infiltration levels of CD8+ T cells and macrophages, as well as overall survival of patients, suggesting it might serve as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker [1,2]. In laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), Krt78 was identified as one of the hub genes through weighted gene co-expression network analysis, indicating its potential significance in this cancer type [8]. In metastatic melanoma, Krt78 was among the hub genes identified through co-expression analysis, involved in immune response and tumor cell development [7]. In silicosis, the plasma level of TNF-α was negatively correlated with the expression of exosomal Krt78 [3]. In oropharyngeal carcinoma (OC), Krt78 had a low-expression binding correlation [4]. In a study on in utero dimethylbenz(a)anthracene exposure, an opposing pattern of Krt78 expression was seen between male and female offspring, decreased in females but increased in males [6].

In summary, Krt78 is potentially involved in multiple biological processes and disease conditions, especially in various cancer types such as HNSCC, LSCC, and metastatic melanoma, as well as in silicosis. Research on Krt78 contributes to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying these diseases and may offer new perspectives for diagnosis and treatment.

References:

1. Guo, Qiaojuan, Lu, Tianzhu, Xu, Hanchuan, Lin, Mengyao, Guo, Fang. 2023. Identification of immune-related genes contributing to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma development using weighted gene co-expression network analysis. In Cancer reports (Hoboken, N.J.), 6, e1808. doi:10.1002/cnr2.1808. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37092360/

2. Cheon, Jaehwan, Kim, Byoungjae, Park, Jaehyung, Shin, Jaemin, Kim, Tae Hoon. 2024. Unveiling Biomarkers in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma through Bioinformatics: The Role of SPP1 and KRT78. In International journal of molecular sciences, 25, . doi:10.3390/ijms252212062. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39596132/

3. Yao, Jiahui, Li, Yongxin, Wang, Shujuan, Li, Guohui, Lou, Jianlin. 2024. Exosomal proteomics and cytokine analysis distinguish silicosis cases from controls. In Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987), 357, 124469. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124469. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38945194/

4. Dawood, Ali Adel. 2023. Uneven Expression of 20 Human Papillomavirus Genes Associated with Oropharyngeal Carcinoma. In Rambam Maimonides medical journal, 14, . doi:10.5041/RMMJ.10508. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37917867/

5. Wu, Jiayuan, Wu, Tianyi, Xie, Xueyuan, Li, Junya, Xu, Lingyang. 2023. Genetic Association Analysis of Copy Number Variations for Meat Quality in Beef Cattle. In Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 12, . doi:10.3390/foods12213986. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37959106/

6. Inyang, Imaobong, White, Hunter E, Timme, Kelsey, Keating, Aileen F. 2024. Biological sex differences in hepatic response to in utero dimethylbenz(a)anthracene exposure. In Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.), 124, 108553. doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2024.108553. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38307155/

7. Wang, Li-Xin, Li, Yang, Chen, Guan-Zhi. 2018. Network-based co-expression analysis for exploring the potential diagnostic biomarkers of metastatic melanoma. In PloS one, 13, e0190447. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0190447. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29377892/

8. Liu, Jian, Zhao, Jing, Xu, Jiaran, Bai, Guangping, Guo, Zhiqiang. 2022. SPINK5 is a Prognostic Biomarker Associated With the Progression and Prognosis of Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Identified by Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis. In Evolutionary bioinformatics online, 18, 11769343221077118. doi:10.1177/11769343221077118. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35140453/