Finally, we calculated the Pearson correlation coefficient between COX4I2 and all FGFs (Fig. 3k) at the transcriptomic level based on the TCGA-COAD data (Fig. 3l), from which we observed a significant correlation between FGF1 and COX4I2, with the results from the CRC patients’ sera supporting this (Fig. 3m). Here, FGF1 is linked to colorectal carcinoma.