Comprehensive analysis of COLGALT1 in tumor microenvironment regulation and prognosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Collagen galactosyltransferase 1 (COLGALT1), a key enzyme involved in collagen post-translational modification, has been implicated in extracellular matrix remodeling across multiple cancer types, yet its prognostic significance and relationship with the tumor immune microenvironment in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remain unclear. In this study, we analyzed multi-omics datasets from public repositories to assess COLGALT1 expression patterns, clinical relevance, and prognostic value in ccRCC. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to validate its expression in renal cancer cell lines and normal renal tubular epithelial cells. Immune infiltration profiles were characterized using multiple computational algorithms, and a competing endogenous RNA network was constructed to explore regulatory mechanisms. Our results demonstrated that COLGALT1 expression was significantly upregulated in ccRCC at both mRNA and protein levels and was positively associated with the infiltration of monocytes, T helper 2 cells, macrophages, regulatory T cells, and natural killer cells. Notably, COLGALT1 expression correlated strongly with markers of M2 macrophages, suggesting a role in promoting an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. These findings identify COLGALT1 as a novel prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target in ccRCC, highlighting its contribution to extracellular matrix remodeling and immune regulation.