Fig. 7.

Clinical significance of MDK and SDC4 expression in human colorectal cancer (CRC). (a) MDK mRNA expression in 125 CRC tissues and paired normal colon tissues in our CRC cohort dataset, assessed using RT-quantitative PCR; p values were determined using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. (b) Expression ratio of MDK in tumour and normal tissues by pathological T stage; NS, p > 0.05; ∗, p < 0.05. p values were determined using one-way ANOVA, followed by Dunnett's multiple comparisons test. (c) Overall survival rate in CRC patients according to MDK and SDC4 mRNA expression in tumour tissues in our CRC cohort data (top) and The Cancer Genomics Atlas (TCGA) data (bottom). (d) Overall survival rate in CRC patients by the combination of MDK and SDC4 mRNA expression in tumour tissues in our CRC cohort data (top) and TCGA data (bottom). Overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. CI: confidence interval; HR: hazard ratio. (e) Schematic of tumour MDK-mediated immunosuppressive environment in early CRC.