Of note, our findings also revealed that ITGA7, CD36, SDC3, COL4A6, and TNXB functioned as protective genes in PAAD, which was an inconsistent phenomenon that ITGA7 and CD36 had been reported to serve as risky genes in the onset, progression, and chemoresistance of PAAD (34, 35). This evidence concerns the gene TNXB and pancreatic adenocarcinoma.