Prognostic value of TZAP expression in various cancers: TCGA data analysis

Abstract

The zinc finger protein ZBTB48 is a telomere-associated factor and renamed it as telomeric zinc finger-associated protein (TZAP). It binds preferentially to long telomeres competing with TRF1 and TRF2. However, its expression in cancers has not been performed. In the present study, we analyzed the prognosis of TZAP expression in 22 kinds of cancers by using TCGA data analysis. TZAP expression had a prognostic value in cervical, colon, and pancreatic cancers. When sorting the patients differently, it got the significance in bladder, breast, kidney, brain, and lung cancers. TZAP expression was associated with better prognosis in bladder, breast, cervical, lung, and pancreatic cancers. However, it showed poorer survival results in colon, kidney, and brain cancers. This result suggested that TZAP expression appears to be a possible prognosis marker in various cancers.