Identification of STAT4 as a biomarker associated with tumor immunity and prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia

Abstract Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is a common malignancy and is supposed to have the ability to escape host immune surveillance. This study aimed to identify key genes in AML that may affect tumor immunity and to provide prognosis biomarkers of AML. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)dataset was screened for transcription factors (TFs) involved in immunity and influencing survival, combining Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data to validate the impact on patient survival. A prognostic signature was established using four transcription factors, and these genes play an important role in the immune system, with higher regulatory T cell (Treg) scores in high-risk patients compared to the low-risk group. Analysis of individual genes showed that STAT4 and Treg are closely related, which may be due to STAT4 transcribing related genes that affect immunity. STAT4 expression was positively correlated with the proportion of abnormal cells and promoted AML recurrence as verified by AML clinical patient samples. In conclusion, these findings suggest that STAT4 may be a potential biomarker for AML prognosis. As a key gene affecting the prognosis of AML patients, STAT4 may be a therapeutic target.