Evaluation of ARHGAP26 expression, prognostic significance, and immune infiltration in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), the most common subtype of renal cell carcinoma, is characterized by high metastatic potential and heterogeneity.The expression pattern of the ARHGAP26 gene in KIRC, its link to patient prognosis, and its role in the TME immunoregulatory network are not well understood, with significant research gaps. We will analyze ARHGAP26 expression using TCGA and GSCALite databases and assess its association with the tumor microenvironment using the ESTIMATE algorithm. Additionally, we will use the GEO database to examine ARHGAP26 expression across different cell subsets in KIRC and evaluate its correlation with immune cell infiltration using TIMER 2.0. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) will be used to confirm differences in ARHGAP26 expression between renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) and adjacent normal tissues. ARHGAP26 expression is higher in KIRC, with a significant difference from normal tissues (p < 0.001). In KIRC patients, high ARHGAP26 expression is linked to longer overall, progression-free, and disease-specific survival, suggesting a tumor suppressor role, though it does not affect the disease-free interval. High ARHGAP26 expression may remodel the tumor stroma and alter the tumor microenvironment by changing the tumor-to-non-tumor cell ratio.