Integrative analysis of adiponectin-related genes reveals immune subtypes and prognostic significance in melanoma

Aims This study aimed to explore the prognostic and immune-related associations of adiponectin-related genes in melanoma.Methods Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and transcriptomic data from the Integrative Epidemiology Unit Open Genome-Wide Association Study database (IEU openGWAS) and The Cancer Genome Atlas Skin Cutaneous Melanoma cohort (TCGA-SKCM) were integrated to identify adiponectin-related genes. Consensus clustering defined molecular subtypes. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed using functional enrichment, protein–protein interaction (PPI), and immune infiltration (CIBERSORT). In vitro assays assessed transcriptional changes following endogenous albumin (ALB) modulation in melanoma cells.Results Five adiponectin-associated SNPs were linked to melanoma prognosis. Four molecular subtypes with distinct survival outcomes were identified, with ALB-high Cluster 3 showing the poorest prognosis. A total of 702 DEGs were enriched in immune-related pathways, including IL-17 signaling and antigen presentation. ALB was identified as a PPI hub and positively correlated with memory B cells (R = 0.34, P = 0.012). In vitro, ALB overexpression was associated with increased mRNA levels of IL-6, TNF-α, TGF-β, IL-17A, and RORγt.Conclusion Tumor-associated ALB expression is associated with adverse prognosis and immune-related transcriptional features in melanoma, suggesting its potential as a prognostic biomarker and marker of transcriptomic heterogeneity.