Mounting evidence shows that
MicroRNAs (
miRNAs) and their target genes are aberrantly expressed in many
cancers and are linked to
tumor occurrence and progression, especially in
esophageal cancer (EC). This study purposed to explore new
biomarkers related to the prognosis of EC and to uncover their potential mechanisms in promoting
tumor progression. We identified 162 differentially expressed
miRNAs and 4555 differentially expressed mRNAs in EC. Then, a risk model involving three
miRNAs (miR-4521, miR-3682-3p, and miR-1269a) was designed to predict prognosis in EC patients. Furthermore, 7 target genes (
Rho GTPase-activating protein 24, Chromobox 3, Contactin-associated
protein 2, ELOVL
fatty acid elongase 5, LIF receptor subunit alpha, transmembrane
protein 44, and transmembrane
protein 67) were selected for Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses to reveal their potential mechanisms in promoting EC progression. After a series of correlation analyses,
miRNA target genes were found to be significantly positively or negatively associated with immune infiltration, tumor microenvironment,
cancer stemness properties, and
tumor mutation burden at different degrees in EC. To further elucidate the role of
miRNA signature in
cancer progression, we performed a pan-
cancer analysis to determine whether these genes exert similar effects on other
tumors. Interestingly, the
miRNA target genes altered expression on
tumor immunity; however, pan-
cancer progression was the same as that of EC. Thus, we explored the immune landscape of the
miRNA signature and its target genes in EC and pan-
cancer. These findings demonstrated the versatility and effectiveness of our model in various
cancers and provided a new direction for
cancer management.