BACKGROUND Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)is one of the most common malignancies worldwide,and its development comprises a multistep process from intraepithelial neoplasia(IN)to carcinoma(CA).However,the crit...BACKGROUND Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)is one of the most common malignancies worldwide,and its development comprises a multistep process from intraepithelial neoplasia(IN)to carcinoma(CA).However,the critical regulators and underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown.AIM To explore the genes and infiltrating immune cells in the microenvironment that are associated with the multistage progression of ESCC to facilitate diagnosis and early intervention.METHODS A mouse model mimicking the multistage development of ESCC was established by providing warter containing 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide(4NQO)to C57BL/6 mice.Moreover,we established a control group without 4NQO treatment of mice.Then,transcriptome sequencing was performed for esophageal tissues from patients with different pathological statuses,including low-grade IN(LGIN),high-grade IN(HGIN),and CA,and controlled normal tissue(NOR)samples.Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified in the LGIN,HGIN,and CA groups,and the biological functions of the DEGs were analyzed via Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses.The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to detect the pattern of immune cell infilt-ration.Immunohistochemistry(IHC)was also conducted to validate our results.Finally,the Luminex multiplex cytokine analysis was utilized to measure the serum cytokine levels in the mice.RESULTS Compared with those in the NOR group,a total of 681541,and 840 DEGs were obtained in the LGIN,HGIN,and CA groups,respectively.Using the intersection of the three sets of DEGs,we identified 86 genes as key genes involved in the development of ESCC.Enrichment analysis revealed that these genes were enriched mainly in the keratinization,epidermal cell differentiation,and interleukin(IL)-17 signaling pathways.CIBERSORT analysis revealed that,compared with those in the NOR group,M0 and M1 macrophages in the 4NQO group showed stronger infiltration,which was validated by IHC.Serum cytokine analysis revealed that,compared with those in the NOR group,IL-1βand IL-6 were upregulated,while IL-10 was downregulated in the LGIN,HGIN,and CA groups.Moreover,the expression of the representative key genes,such as S100a8 and Krt6b,was verified in external human samples,and the results of immunohistochemical staining were consistent with the findings in mice.CONCLUSION We identified a set of key genes represented by S100a8 and Krt6b and investigated their potential biological functions.In addition,we found that macrophage infiltration and abnormal alterations in the levels of inflam-mation-associated cytokines,such as IL-1β,IL-6,and IL-10,in the peripheral blood may be closely associated with the development of ESCC.展开更多
We have found that the expression of ring finger and WD repeat domain 3(RFWD3)is significantly higher in unpaired and paired hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)tissues than in normal tissues.Moreover,this expression has a s...We have found that the expression of ring finger and WD repeat domain 3(RFWD3)is significantly higher in unpaired and paired hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)tissues than in normal tissues.Moreover,this expression has a significant correlation with the infiltration level of 14 immune cell types and when the detected RFWD3 expression levels were grouped as high and low,a prominent difference was revealed for overall survival,disease-specific survival,and progression-free interval.Through statistical analysis(univariate Cox),we were also able to identify RFWD3 as an independent prognostic element for HCC,with RFWD3 having an ability to accurately predict HCC prognosis(area under the curve of 0.863).Finally,we have generated prognostic nomograms for probabilities of 1-,3-and 5-year overall survival in HCC via integrating the factors of age,pathologic stage,alpha-fetoprotein level,and RFWD3 expression.展开更多
Objective:The aim of this study was to identify hub genes associated with immune cell infiltration in breast cancer through bioinformatic analyses of multiple datasets.Methods:Nonparametric(NOISeq)and robust rank aggr...Objective:The aim of this study was to identify hub genes associated with immune cell infiltration in breast cancer through bioinformatic analyses of multiple datasets.Methods:Nonparametric(NOISeq)and robust rank aggregation-ranked parametric(EdgeR)methods were used to assess robust differentially expressed genes across multiple datasets.Protein-protein interaction network,GO,KEGG enrichment,and subnetwork analyses were performed to identify immune-associated hub genes in breast cancer.Immune cell infiltration was evaluated with the CIBERSORT,XCELL,and TIMER methods.The association between the hub gene-based risk signature and survival was determined through Kaplan–Meier survival analysis,multivariate Cox analysis,and a nomogram with external verification.Results:We identified 163 robust differentially expressed genes in breast cancer through applying both nonparametric and parametric methods to multiple GEO(n=2,212)and TCGA(n=1,045)datasets.Integrated bioinformatic analyses further identified 10 hub genes:CXCL10,CXCL9,CXCL11,SPP1,POSTN,MMP9,DPT,COL1A1,ADAMDEC1,and RGS1.The 10 hub-gene-based risk signature significantly correlated with the prognosis of patients with breast cancer.Moreover,these hub genes were strongly associated with the extent of infiltration of CD4+T cells,CD8+T cells,neutrophils,macrophages,and myeloid dendritic cells into breast tumors.Conclusions:Integrated analyses of multiple databases led to the discovery of 10 robust hub genes that together may serve as a risk factor characteristic of the immune microenvironment in breast cancer.展开更多
Objective:To investigate the correlation between immune cell infiltration pattern and clinical features and prognosis of cervical carcinoma.Methods:All cervical cancer transcript data and related clinical data were do...Objective:To investigate the correlation between immune cell infiltration pattern and clinical features and prognosis of cervical carcinoma.Methods:All cervical cancer transcript data and related clinical data were downloaded from the public database Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA),and the relative proportions of 22 invasive immune cell types were calculated by Cibersort software.Perl was used to assess the correlation between the pattern of immune cell invasion and clinical characteristics(age,clinical stage,tumor grade)in cervical cancer,and the correlation between the pattern of immune cell invasion and survival in cervical cancer was calculated by the K-M Log-Rank method.Result:The distribution of immune cells in 306 cases of cervical cancer and 3 cases of normal tissues was assessed using Cibersort.Compared with normal tissues,the contents of resting dendritic cells,activated dendritic cells,M1 macrophages and activated CD4+memory T cells were higher;the contents of M2 macrophages,neutrophils,regulatory T cells and activated mast cells were lower in cervical cancer tissues.The contents of M1 macrophages,unactivated CD4+memory T cells,andγδT cells were positively correlated with patient age(P<0.05).The contents of follicular helper T cells,activated and unactivated natural killer(NK)cells,and naive CD4 T cells were negatively correlated with patient age(P<0.05).Those with high resting dendritic cell composition had shorter overall survival,while those with high follicular helper T cell composition had longer overall survival(P<0.05).Conclusion:Compared with normal tissues,the composition of immune cells in cervical cancer tissues has certain specificity,which can provide reference for the early screening and diagnosis of the disease.Patients in different age groups may have different immune cell infiltration patterns,which can be used as a basis to explore drug targets in clinical practice.Resting dendritic cells and follicular helper T cells in cervical cancer can be used as possible efficacy predictors of clinical immunotherapy for cervical cancer.展开更多
Background Pediatric sepsis is a complicated condition characterized by life-threatening organ failure resulting from a dysregulated host response to infection in children.It is associated with high rates of morbidity...Background Pediatric sepsis is a complicated condition characterized by life-threatening organ failure resulting from a dysregulated host response to infection in children.It is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality,and rapid detection and administration of antimicrobials have been emphasized.The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic biomarkers of pediatric sepsis and the function of immune cell infiltration in the development of this illness.Methods Three gene expression datasets were available from the Gene Expression Omnibus collection.First,the differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were found with the use of the R program,and then gene set enrichment analysis was carried out.Subsequently,the DEGs were combined with the major module genes chosen using the weighted gene co-expression network.The hub genes were identified by the use of three machine-learning algorithms:random forest,support vector machine-recursive feature elimination,and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator.The receiver operating characteristic curve and nomogram model were used to verify the discrimination and efficacy of the hub genes.In addition,the inflammatory and immune status of pediatric sepsis was assessed using cell-type identification by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcripts(CIBERSORT).The relationship between the diagnostic markers and infiltrating immune cells was further studied.Results Overall,after overlapping key module genes and DEGs,we detected 402 overlapping genes.As pediatric sepsis diagnostic indicators,CYSTM1(AUC=0.988),MMP8(AUC=0.973),and CD177(AUC=0.986)were investigated and demonstrated statistically significant differences(P<0.05)and diagnostic efficacy in the validation set.As indicated by the immune cell infiltration analysis,multiple immune cells may be involved in the development of pediatric sepsis.Additionally,all diagnostic characteristics may correlate with immune cells to varying degrees.Conclusions The candidate hub genes(CD177,CYSTM1,and MMP8)were identified,and the nomogram was constructed for pediatric sepsis diagnosis.Our study could provide potential peripheral blood diagnostic candidate genes for pediatric sepsis patients.展开更多
BACKGROUND Diabetic cardiomyopathy(DCM)is a multifaceted cardiovascular disorder in which immune dysregulation plays a pivotal role.The immunological molecular mechanisms underlying DCM are poorly understood.AIM To ex...BACKGROUND Diabetic cardiomyopathy(DCM)is a multifaceted cardiovascular disorder in which immune dysregulation plays a pivotal role.The immunological molecular mechanisms underlying DCM are poorly understood.AIM To examine the immunological molecular mechanisms of DCM and construct diagnostic and prognostic models of DCM based on immune feature genes(IFGs).METHODS Weighted gene co-expression network analysis along with machine learning methods were employed to pinpoint IFGs within bulk RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)datasets.Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis(ssGSEA)facilitated the analysis of immune cell infiltration.Diagnostic and prognostic models for these IFGs were developed and assessed in a validation cohort.Gene expression in the DCM cell model was confirmed through real time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting techniques.Additionally,single-cell RNA-seq data provided deeper insights into cellular profiles and interactions.RESULTS The overlap between 69 differentially expressed genes in the DCM-associated module and 2483 immune genes yielded 7 differentially expressed immune-related genes.Four IFGs showed good diagnostic and prognostic values in the validation cohort:Proenkephalin(Penk)and retinol binding protein 7(Rbp7),which were highly expressed,and glucagon receptor and inhibin subunit alpha,which were expressed at low levels in DCM patients(all area under the curves>0.9).SsGSEA revealed that IFG-related immune cell infiltration primarily involved type 2 T helper cells.High expression of Penk(P<0.0001)and Rbp7(P=0.001)was detected in cardiomyocytes and interstitial cells and further confirmed in a DCM cell model in vitro.Intercellular events and communication analysis revealed abnormal cellular phenotype transformation and signaling communication in DCM,especially between mesenchymal cells and macrophages.CONCLUSION The present study identified Penk and Rbp7 as potential DCM biomarkers,and aberrant mesenchymal-immune cell phenotype communication may be an important aspect of DCM pathogenesis.展开更多
Background:The tumor microenvironment plays an essential role in the therapeutic response to immunotherapy.It is necessary to identify immune cell infiltration(ICI)subtypes for evaluating prognosis and therapeutic ben...Background:The tumor microenvironment plays an essential role in the therapeutic response to immunotherapy.It is necessary to identify immune cell infiltration(ICI)subtypes for evaluating prognosis and therapeutic benefits.This study aimed to evaluate the ICI score as an effective prognostic biomarker for immune response.Methods:The cell-type identification by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcripts and the estimation of stromal and immune cells in malignant tumors using expression methods were used to analyse ICI landscapes in 161 colorectal cancer(CRC)samples with patients’clinical and prognostic data,RNA sequencing data,and whole-exome sequencing data from the Sixth Affiliated Hospital,Sun Yat-sen University(Guangzhou,China).Statistical analysis and data processing were conducted to calculate ICI scores,and to analyse the prognosis of CRC patients with different ICI scores and other features.A similar analysis with RNA sequencing and clinical data of colon adenocarcinoma(COAD)samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database was conducted to confirm the correctness of the findings.Results:The high-ICI score group with a better prognosis(hazard ratio[HR],2.19;95%confidence interval[CI],1.03–4.64;logrank test,P=0.036)was characterized by the increased tumor mutational burden and interleukin-17(IL-17)signaling pathway.Significant differences in the prognosis and the expression levels of immune checkpoints and chemokine marker genes were found between the two ICI score groups.For COAD samples from TCGA,the results also showed a significant difference in patients’prognosis between the two ICI score groups(HR,1.72;95%CI,1.00–2.96;log-rank test,P=0.047).Conclusions:Tumor heterogeneity induced differences in identifying ICI subtypes of CRC patients.The ICI score may serve as an effective biomarker for predicting prognosis,help identify new therapeutic markers for CRC,and develop novel effective immune checkpoint blockade therapies.展开更多
Background: A major cause of cancer death worldwide is bladder cancer, which is the most common malignant tumor of the urinary tract. PAEP is a member of the kernel lipocalin superfamily whose members share relatively...Background: A major cause of cancer death worldwide is bladder cancer, which is the most common malignant tumor of the urinary tract. PAEP is a member of the kernel lipocalin superfamily whose members share relatively low sequence similarity but have highly conserved exon/intron structure and three-dimensional protein folding. Most lipocalins are clustered on the long arm of chromosome 9. The purpose of this study was to clarify the correlation between PAEP expression level and bladder cancer. Methods: In the TCGA database, we obtained clinical and RNA sequencing data of 431 BLCA patients, including 412 BLCA tissues and 19 normal bladder tissues in the study. Analyses of bioinformatics were conducted in this study to determine the role of PAEP in bladder cancer. A quantitative real-time PCR method was used to quantitate the gene expression profile. Additionally, the effect of PAEP on tumor immune infiltration and prognosis was analyzed. Results: PAEP was a poor prognostic biomarker of bladder cancer because it was significantly upregulated. bladder cancer patients with higher PAEP expression had poor outcomes. An AUC of 0.780 was calculated from the area under the ROC curve. PAEP was associated with T stage, pathologic stage, Histologic grade and Subtype of bladder cancer patients, and served as an independent predictor of overall survival in bladder cancer patients. Functional enrichment analysis revealed PAEP was obviously enriched in pathways connected with carcinogenesis and immunosuppression. The expression of PAEP was significantly associated with tumor immune cells and immune checkpoints according to ssGSEA and Spearman correlation analysis. Conclusions: In this study, we screened and detected a mRNA, PAEP is a prognostic and immune-related biomarker in BLCA, which may contribute to the early diagnosis and treatment of BLCA.展开更多
Objectives:Allergic rhinitis(AR)refers to a form of respiratory inflammation that mainly affects the sinonasal mucosa.The purpose of this study was to explore the level of immune cell infiltration and the pathogenesis...Objectives:Allergic rhinitis(AR)refers to a form of respiratory inflammation that mainly affects the sinonasal mucosa.The purpose of this study was to explore the level of immune cell infiltration and the pathogenesis of AR.Methods:We performed a comprehensive analysis of two gene expression profiles(GSE50223 and GSE50101,a total of 30 patients with AR and 31 healthy controls).CIBERSORT was used to evaluate the immune cell infiltration levels.Weighted gene coexpression network analysis was applied to explore potential genes or gene modules related to immune status,and enrichment analyses including gene ontology,Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes,gene set enrichment analysis,and gene set variation analysis,were performed to analyze the potential mechanisms in AR.A protein–protein interaction network was constructed to investigate the hub genes,and consensus clustering was conducted to identify the molecular subtypes of AR.Results:Compared to the healthy controls,patients with AR had high abundance levels and proportions of CD4+memory‐activated T cells.One hundred and eight immune‐related differentially expressed genes were identified.Enrichment analysis suggested that AR was mainly related to leukocyte cell‐cell adhesion,cytokine‐cytokine receptor interaction,T‐cell activation,and T‐cell receptor signaling pathway.Ten hub genes,includingTYROBP,CSF1R,TLR8,FCER1G,SPI1,ITGAM,CYBB,FCGR2A,CCR1,andHCK,which were related to immune response,might be crucial to the pathogenesis of AR.Three molecular subtypes with significantly different immune statuses were identified.Conclusion:This study improves our understanding of the molecular mechanisms in AR via comprehensive strategies and provides potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets of AR.展开更多
Background Small cell lung cancer(SCLC)is a highly malignant and aggressive neuroendocrine tumor.With the rise of immunotherapy,it has provided a new direction for SCLC.However,due to the lack of prognostic biomarkers...Background Small cell lung cancer(SCLC)is a highly malignant and aggressive neuroendocrine tumor.With the rise of immunotherapy,it has provided a new direction for SCLC.However,due to the lack of prognostic biomarkers,the median overall survival of SCLC is still to be improved.This study aimed to explore novel biomarkers and tumor-infiltrating immune cell characteristics that may serve as potential diagnostic and prognostic markers in SCLC.Methods Gene expression profiles from patients with SCLC were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database,and tumor microenvironment(TME)infiltration profile data were obtained using CIBERSORT.The robust rank aggregation(RRA)method was utilized to integrate three SCLC microarray datasets downloaded from the GEO database and identify robust differentially expressed genes(DEGs)between normal and tumor tissue samples.Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analyses were performed to explore the functions of the robust DEGs.Subsequently,protein-protein interaction networks and key modules were constructed by Cytoscape,and hub genes were selected from the whole network using the plugin cytoHubba.Survival analysis of hub genes was performed by Kaplan-Meier plotter in 18 patients with extensive-stage SCLC.Results A total of 312 robust DEGs,including 55 upregulated and 257 downregulated genes,were screened from 129 SCLC tissue samples and 44 normal tissue samples.GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that the robust DEGs were predominantly involved in human T-cell leukemia virus 1 infection,focal adhesion,complement and coagulation cascades,tumor necrosis factor(TNF)signaling pathway,and ECM-receptor interaction,which are closely associated with the development and progression of SCLC.Subsequently,three DEGs modules and six hub genes(ITGA10,DUSP12,PTGS2,FOS,TGFBR2,and ICAM1)were identified through screening with the Cytoscape plugins MCODE and cytoHubba,respectively.Immune cell infiltration analysis by the CIBERSORT algorithm revealed that resting memory CD4+T cells were the predominant infiltrating immune cells in SCLC.In addition,Kaplan-Meier plotter revealed that the gene prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2)was a potential prognostic biomarker of SCLC.Conclusions Hub genes and tumor-infiltrating immune cells may be the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of SCLC,and this finding could contribute to the formulation of individualized immunotherapy strategies for SCLC.展开更多
BACKGROUND Spindle and kinetochore-associated complex subunit 3(SKA3)is a malignancyassociated gene that plays a critical role in the regulation of chromosome separation and cell division.However,the molecular mechani...BACKGROUND Spindle and kinetochore-associated complex subunit 3(SKA3)is a malignancyassociated gene that plays a critical role in the regulation of chromosome separation and cell division.However,the molecular mechanism through which SKA3 regulates tumor cell proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has not been fully elucidated.AIM To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of SKA3 in HCC.METHODS SKA3 expression,clinicopathological,and survival analyses were performed using multiple public database platforms,and the results were verified by Western blot and immunohistochemistry staining using collected clinical samples.Functional enrichment analyses were performed to evaluate the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of SKA3 in HCC.Furthermore,the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource and single-sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis(ssGSEA)algorithms were utilized to investigate the abundance of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in HCC.The response to chemotherapeutic drugs was evaluated by the R package“pRRophetic”.RESULTS We found that upregulated SKA3 expression was significantly correlated with poor prognosis in patients with HCC.Multivariable Cox regression analysis indicated that SKA3 was an independent risk factor for survival.GSEA revealed that SKA3 expression may facilitate proliferation and migratory processes by regulating the cell cycle and DNA repair.Moreover,patients with high SKA3 expression had significantly decreased ratios of CD8+T cells,natural killer cells,and dendritic cells.Drug sensitivity analysis showed that the high SKA3 group was more sensitive to sorafenib,sunitinib,paclitaxel,doxorubicin,gemcitabine,and vx-680.CONCLUSION High SKA3 expression led to poor prognosis in patients with HCC by enhancing HCC proliferation and repressing immune cell infiltration surrounding HCC.SKA3 may be used as a biomarker for poor prognosis and as a therapeutic target in HCC.展开更多
Tanshinone IIA,one of the main ingredients of Danshen,is used to treat hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).However,potential targets of the molecule in the therapy of HCC are unknown.Methods:In this study,we collected the t...Tanshinone IIA,one of the main ingredients of Danshen,is used to treat hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).However,potential targets of the molecule in the therapy of HCC are unknown.Methods:In this study,we collected the tanshinone IIA targets from public databases for investigation.We screened differentially expressed genes(DEGs)across HCC and normal tissues using mRNA expression profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA).Univariate Cox regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)Cox regression models were used to identify and construct the prognostic gene signature.Results:Finally,we discovered common genes across tanshinone IIA targets and HCC DEGs.We reported Fatty acid binding protein-6(FABP6),Polo-like Kinase 1(PLK1),deoxythymidylate kinase(DTYMK),Uridine Cytidine Kinase 2(UCK2),Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2(EZH2),and Cytochrome P4502C9(CYP2C9)as components of a gene signature.The six-gene signature’s prognostic ability was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier curve,time-dependent receiver operating characteristic(ROC),multivariate Cox regression analysis,and the nomogram.The mRNA level and protein expression of UCK2 were experimentally validated after treatment with different concentrations of tanshinone IIA in HEPG2 cells.CIBERSORTx,TIMER2.0,and GEPIA2 tools were employed to explore the relationship between the prognostic signature and immune cell infiltration.Conclusion:We established a six-gene signature as a reliable model with significant therapeutic possibility for prognosis and overall survival estimation in HCC patients,which might also benefit medical decision-making for appropriate treatment.展开更多
Background:Ferroptosis is an iron dependent form of cell death,which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of a variety of urinary malignancies.The down-regulation of DECR1 gene causes the accumulation of polyun...Background:Ferroptosis is an iron dependent form of cell death,which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of a variety of urinary malignancies.The down-regulation of DECR1 gene causes the accumulation of polyunsaturated fatty acids(PUFAs),increases the susceptibility to lipid peroxidation,and finally leads to cell death.Methods:We first searched the data to find reductase 1(DECR1)expression in bladder uroepithelial carcinoma and healthy surrounding tissues in the Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA),and we then confirmed DECR1 expression with additional independent cohorts in the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database and the Human Protein Atlas(HPA).In order to determine the link between DECR1 expression and clinical traits and overall survival(OS),as well as to create nomograms,multivariate analysis and Kaplan Meier survival curves were utilized.Through the use of an online string website,the network of proteins that interact with DECR1 was created.Through an online string website,the protein network interacting with DECR1 was built.Finally,we looked at the association between aggressive immune cells and the marker genes that belong to them and DECR1 expression.Results:When compared to normal tissues,bladder tumor tissues had higher DECR1 expression(P=0.002).Low DECR1 expression was linked with tumor grade and stage in tumor cells.BLCA patients with low DECR1 expression had a lower overall survival than BLCA patients with high DECR1 expression,according to a survival study(P=0.008).The protein network’s HSD17B4 and DECR1 connections are crucial.The expression of regulatory T cells,regulatory B cells,and their markers were decreased when DECR1 was missing in bladder cancer.Conclusion:Decreased DECR1 expression was associated with BLCA progression,poor prognosis and impaired infiltration of some immune cells.展开更多
Background:Lung cancer,particularly lung adenocarcinoma(LUAD),is highly lethal.Understanding the critical interaction between epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)and the immune status of patients is imperative for c...Background:Lung cancer,particularly lung adenocarcinoma(LUAD),is highly lethal.Understanding the critical interaction between epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)and the immune status of patients is imperative for clinical assessment.Methods:We conducted bioinformatics analysis to identify potential immune-related EMT(iEMT)prognostic genes and explored the immune status in LUAD.Using data from The CancerGenome Atlas andGSE68465,differentially expressed genes,were identified,and a risk modelwas constructed.Cluster analysis was conducted using the Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways.Results:Our findings revealed 69 differentially expressed iEMT genes,with risk values demonstrating independent prognostic significance for both The Cancer Genome Atlas and GSE68465 samples.The risk value was positively correlated with tumor stage.Immune cell infiltration analysis showed a significant decrease in resting dendritic cells and an increase in CD4 memory T cells in high-risk groups with poor survival prognoses.The immunotherapy analysis revealed weak immunotherapeutic effects in the high-risk group.Conclusions:This study provides insights into potential aberrant differential iEMT genes and risk models and explores immune landscapes that inform personalized immunotherapy in patients with LUAD.展开更多
Objective:Patients with non–small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)respond differently to cytokine-induced killer cell(CIK)treatment.Therefore,potential prognostic markers to identify patients who would benefit from CIK treatm...Objective:Patients with non–small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)respond differently to cytokine-induced killer cell(CIK)treatment.Therefore,potential prognostic markers to identify patients who would benefit from CIK treatment must be elucidated.The current research aimed at identifying predictive prognostic markers for efficient CIK treatment of patients with NSCLC.Methods:Patients histologically diagnosed with NSCLC were enrolled from the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital.We performed whole-exome sequencing(WES)on the tumor tissues and paired adjacent benign tissues collected from 50 patients with NSCLC,and RNA-seq on tumor tissues of 17 patients with NSCLC before CIK immunotherapy treatment.Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to analyze the association between clinical parameters and prognostic relevance.WES and RNA-seq data between lung squamous cell carcinoma(SCC)and adenocarcinoma(Aden)were analyzed and compared.Results:The pathology subtype of lung cancer was the most significantly relevant clinical parameter associated with DFS,as analyzed by multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression(P=0.031).The patients with lung SCC showed better CIK treatment efficacy and extended DFS after CIK treatment.Relatively low expression of HLA class II genes and checkpoint molecules,and less immunosuppressive immune cell infiltration were identified in the patients with lung SCC.Conclusions:Coordinated suppression of the expression of HLA class II genes and checkpoint molecules,as well as less immune suppressive cell infiltration together contributed to the better CIK treatment efficacy in lung SCC than lung Aden.展开更多
Oxidative stress(OS)is intimately associated with tumorigenesis and has been considered a potential therapeutic strategy.However,the OS-associated therapeutic target for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)remains...Oxidative stress(OS)is intimately associated with tumorigenesis and has been considered a potential therapeutic strategy.However,the OS-associated therapeutic target for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)remains unconfirmed.In our study,gene expression data of ESCC and clinical information from public databases were downloaded.Through LASSO-Cox regression analysis,a risk score(RS)signature map of prognosis was constructed and performed external verification with the GSE53625 cohort.The ESTIMATE,xCell,CIBERSORT,TIMER,and ImmuCellAI algorithms were employed to analyze infiltrating immune cells and generate an immune microenvironment(IM).Afterward,functional enrichment analysis clarified the underlying mechanism of the model.Nomogram was utilized for forecasting the survival rate of individual ESCC cases.As a result,we successfully constructed an OS-related genes(OSRGs)model and found that the survival rate of high-risk groups was lower than that of low-risk groups.The AUC of the ROC verified the strong prediction performance of the signal in these two cohorts further.According to independent prognostic analysis,the RS was identified as an independent risk factor for ESCC.The nomogram and follow-up data revealed that the RS possesses favorable predictive value for the prognosis of ESCC patients.qRT-PCR detection demonstrated increased expression of MPC1,COX6C,CYB5R3,CASP7,and CYCS in esophageal cancer patients.In conclusion,we have constructed an OSRGs model for ESCC to predict patients’prognosis,offering a novel insight into the potential application of the OSRGs model in ESCC.展开更多
BACKGROUND Liver cancer(LIHC)is a malignant tumor that occurs in the liver and has a high mortality in cancer.The ING family genes were identified as tumor suppressor genes.Dysregulated expression of these genes can l...BACKGROUND Liver cancer(LIHC)is a malignant tumor that occurs in the liver and has a high mortality in cancer.The ING family genes were identified as tumor suppressor genes.Dysregulated expression of these genes can lead to cell cycle arrest,senescence and/or apoptosis.ING family genes are promising targets for anticancer therapy.However,their role in LIHC is still not well understood.AIM To have a better understanding of the important roles of ING family members in LIHC.METHODS A series of bioinformatics approaches(including gene expression analysis,genetic alteration analysis,survival analysis,immune infiltration analysis,prediction of upstream microRNAs(miRNAs)and long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs)of ING1,and ING1-related gene functional enrichment analysis)was applied to study the expression profile,clinical relationship,prognostic significance and immune infiltration of ING in LIHC.The relationship between ING family genes expression and tumor associated immune checkpoints was investigated in LIHC.The molecular mechanism of ING1 mediated hepatocarcinogenesis was preliminarily discussed.RESULTS mRNA/protein expression of different ING family genes in LIHC was analyzed in different databases,showing that ING family genes were highly expressed in LIHC.In 47 samples from 366 LIHC patients,the ING family genes were altered at a rate of 13%.By comprehensively analyzing the expression,clinical pathological parameters and prognostic value of ING family genes,ING1/5 was identified.ING1/5 was related to poor prognosis of LIHC,suggesting that they may play key roles in LIHC tumorigenesis and progression.One of the target miRNAs of ING1 was identified as hsa-miR-214-3p.Two upstream lncRNAs of hsa-miR-214-3p,U91328.1,and HCG17,were identified.At the same time,we found that the expression of ING family genes was correlated with immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint genes.CONCLUSION This study lays a foundation for further research on the potential mechanism and clinical value of ING family genes in the treatment and prognosis of LIHC.展开更多
Background:The ORAI family of proteins,comprising ORAI1,ORAI2,and ORAI3,plays a crucial role in the regulation of intracellular calcium signaling,which is essential for various cellular functions including proliferati...Background:The ORAI family of proteins,comprising ORAI1,ORAI2,and ORAI3,plays a crucial role in the regulation of intracellular calcium signaling,which is essential for various cellular functions including proliferation,differentiation,and apoptosis.Dysregulation of calcium signaling has been implicated in cancer pathogenesis,influencing tumor progression,metastasis,and resistance to therapy.This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the ORAI family members across a broad spectrum of cancers.Methods:Publicly available datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Gene Expression Omnibus were utilized.RNA sequencing data,mutation profiles,copy number variation data,and methylation data across different cancer types were analyzed.Differential expression analysis,survival analysis,copy number variation analysis,mutation analysis,methylation analysis,immune cell infiltration analysis using the Cibersort algorithm,and gene set enrichment analysis were conducted using R software.Results:ORAI1 and ORAI3 were significantly upregulated in glioblastoma multiforme,whereas ORAI2 was notably downregulated in kidney chromophobe and pancreatic adenocarcinoma.ORAI2 exhibited higher mutation rates and copy number gains in multiple cancers compared to ORAI1 and ORAI3.The hypermethylation of ORAI2 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma,esophageal carcinoma,and glioblastoma multiforme negatively correlated with its gene expression.ORAI1 and ORAI3 expression positively correlated with regulatory T cells infiltration,whereas ORAI2 showed a negative correlation with CD8^(+)T cell infiltration.Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that ORAI1 and ORAI2 are associated with immune-related pathways,while ORAI3 is linked to MYC targets and oxidative phosphorylation.Conclusion:Our pan-cancer analysis reveals significant differential expression,genomic alterations,and epigenetic regulation of ORAI family members across various cancers.ORAI1 and ORAI3 appear to promote an immunosuppressive environment,whereas ORAI2 may function as a tumor suppressor in certain contexts.These findings provide a foundation for future research targeting ORAI-mediated pathways in cancer therapy and highlight the therapeutic potential of ORAI proteins.展开更多
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is a common malignant tumor with high mortality. The prognostic significance of Ran, a member of Ras superfamily, remains unclear in HCC patients. Methods: Based on The Cancer...Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is a common malignant tumor with high mortality. The prognostic significance of Ran, a member of Ras superfamily, remains unclear in HCC patients. Methods: Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA) database and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource(TIMER), we analyzed the correlations among Ran expression, promoter methylation and immune cell infiltration. We also investigated the Ran expression levels in HCC tissues and normal tissues by using quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Ran m RNA expression was significantly increased in HCC tissues compared with the normal tissues( P < 0.001). Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves showed that Ran expression had predictive value of the 1-, 3-and 5-year overall survival for HCC patients, and the areas under the curves(AUC) were 0.747, 0.634 and 0.704, respectively. Cox regression analysis showed that Ran expression was an independent prognostic factor for HCC patients(HR = 1.492, 95% CI: 1.129-1.971, P = 0.005). We also found a negative relationship between Ran m RNA expression and its promoter methylation( r =-0.36, P < 0.001). High Ran expression and promoter hypomethylation predicted worse overall survival and progression-free survival( P < 0.05) and were involved in the progression of HCC. Ran expression exhibited significant correlations with immune infiltrates and prognostic immune-related genes. Conclusions: The present study provides further insight into the prognosis of HCC, and Ran could serve as a biomarker for predicting the survival of HCC patients.展开更多
BACKGROUND China's most frequent malignancy is gastric cancer(GC),which has a very poor survival rate,and the survival rate for patients with advanced GC is dismal.Pyroptosis has been connected to the genesis and ...BACKGROUND China's most frequent malignancy is gastric cancer(GC),which has a very poor survival rate,and the survival rate for patients with advanced GC is dismal.Pyroptosis has been connected to the genesis and development of cancer.The function of pyroptosis-related long non-coding RNAs(PRLs)in GC,on the other hand,remains uncertain.AIM To explore the construction and comprehensive analysis of the prognostic characteristics of long non-coding RNA(lncRNA)related to pyroptosis in GC patients.METHODS The TCGA database provided us with 352 stomach adenocarcinoma samples,and we obtained 28 pyroptotic genes from the Reactome database.We examined the correlation between lncRNAs and pyroptosis using the Pearson correlation coefficient.Prognosis-related PRLs were identified through univariate Cox analysis.A predictive signature was constructed using stepwise Cox regression analysis,and its reliability and independence were assessed.To facilitate clinical application,a nomogram was created based on this signature.we analyzed differences in immune cell infiltration,immune function,and checkpoints between the high-risk group(HRG)and low-risk group(LRG).RESULTS Five hundred and twenty-three PRLs were screened from all lncRNAs(absolute correlation coefficient>0.4,P<0.05).Nine PRLs were included in the risk prediction signature that was created through stepwise Cox regression analysis.We determined the risk score for GC patients and employed the median value as the dividing line between HRG and LRG.The ability of the risk signature to predict the overall survival(OS)of GC is demonstrated by the Kaplan-Meier analysis,risk curve,receiver operating characteristic curve,and decision curve analysis curve.The risk signature was shown to be an independent prognostic factor for OS in both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses.HRG showed a more efficient local immune response or modulation compared to LRG,as indicated by the predicted signal pathway analysis and examination of immune cell infiltration,function,and checkpoints(P<0.05).CONCLUSION In general,we have created a brand-new prognostic signature using PRLs,which may provide ideas for immunotherapy in patients with GC.展开更多
基金Supported by National Natural Foundation of China,No.821742232019 Chinese and Western Medicine Clinical Collaborative Capacity Building Project for Major Difficult Diseases,No.2019-ZX-005。
文摘BACKGROUND Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)is one of the most common malignancies worldwide,and its development comprises a multistep process from intraepithelial neoplasia(IN)to carcinoma(CA).However,the critical regulators and underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown.AIM To explore the genes and infiltrating immune cells in the microenvironment that are associated with the multistage progression of ESCC to facilitate diagnosis and early intervention.METHODS A mouse model mimicking the multistage development of ESCC was established by providing warter containing 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide(4NQO)to C57BL/6 mice.Moreover,we established a control group without 4NQO treatment of mice.Then,transcriptome sequencing was performed for esophageal tissues from patients with different pathological statuses,including low-grade IN(LGIN),high-grade IN(HGIN),and CA,and controlled normal tissue(NOR)samples.Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified in the LGIN,HGIN,and CA groups,and the biological functions of the DEGs were analyzed via Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses.The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to detect the pattern of immune cell infilt-ration.Immunohistochemistry(IHC)was also conducted to validate our results.Finally,the Luminex multiplex cytokine analysis was utilized to measure the serum cytokine levels in the mice.RESULTS Compared with those in the NOR group,a total of 681541,and 840 DEGs were obtained in the LGIN,HGIN,and CA groups,respectively.Using the intersection of the three sets of DEGs,we identified 86 genes as key genes involved in the development of ESCC.Enrichment analysis revealed that these genes were enriched mainly in the keratinization,epidermal cell differentiation,and interleukin(IL)-17 signaling pathways.CIBERSORT analysis revealed that,compared with those in the NOR group,M0 and M1 macrophages in the 4NQO group showed stronger infiltration,which was validated by IHC.Serum cytokine analysis revealed that,compared with those in the NOR group,IL-1βand IL-6 were upregulated,while IL-10 was downregulated in the LGIN,HGIN,and CA groups.Moreover,the expression of the representative key genes,such as S100a8 and Krt6b,was verified in external human samples,and the results of immunohistochemical staining were consistent with the findings in mice.CONCLUSION We identified a set of key genes represented by S100a8 and Krt6b and investigated their potential biological functions.In addition,we found that macrophage infiltration and abnormal alterations in the levels of inflam-mation-associated cytokines,such as IL-1β,IL-6,and IL-10,in the peripheral blood may be closely associated with the development of ESCC.
文摘We have found that the expression of ring finger and WD repeat domain 3(RFWD3)is significantly higher in unpaired and paired hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)tissues than in normal tissues.Moreover,this expression has a significant correlation with the infiltration level of 14 immune cell types and when the detected RFWD3 expression levels were grouped as high and low,a prominent difference was revealed for overall survival,disease-specific survival,and progression-free interval.Through statistical analysis(univariate Cox),we were also able to identify RFWD3 as an independent prognostic element for HCC,with RFWD3 having an ability to accurately predict HCC prognosis(area under the curve of 0.863).Finally,we have generated prognostic nomograms for probabilities of 1-,3-and 5-year overall survival in HCC via integrating the factors of age,pathologic stage,alpha-fetoprotein level,and RFWD3 expression.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.81874167 and 82073064).
文摘Objective:The aim of this study was to identify hub genes associated with immune cell infiltration in breast cancer through bioinformatic analyses of multiple datasets.Methods:Nonparametric(NOISeq)and robust rank aggregation-ranked parametric(EdgeR)methods were used to assess robust differentially expressed genes across multiple datasets.Protein-protein interaction network,GO,KEGG enrichment,and subnetwork analyses were performed to identify immune-associated hub genes in breast cancer.Immune cell infiltration was evaluated with the CIBERSORT,XCELL,and TIMER methods.The association between the hub gene-based risk signature and survival was determined through Kaplan–Meier survival analysis,multivariate Cox analysis,and a nomogram with external verification.Results:We identified 163 robust differentially expressed genes in breast cancer through applying both nonparametric and parametric methods to multiple GEO(n=2,212)and TCGA(n=1,045)datasets.Integrated bioinformatic analyses further identified 10 hub genes:CXCL10,CXCL9,CXCL11,SPP1,POSTN,MMP9,DPT,COL1A1,ADAMDEC1,and RGS1.The 10 hub-gene-based risk signature significantly correlated with the prognosis of patients with breast cancer.Moreover,these hub genes were strongly associated with the extent of infiltration of CD4+T cells,CD8+T cells,neutrophils,macrophages,and myeloid dendritic cells into breast tumors.Conclusions:Integrated analyses of multiple databases led to the discovery of 10 robust hub genes that together may serve as a risk factor characteristic of the immune microenvironment in breast cancer.
基金Scientific research project of Hubei provincial health commission(No.WJ2019M118)。
文摘Objective:To investigate the correlation between immune cell infiltration pattern and clinical features and prognosis of cervical carcinoma.Methods:All cervical cancer transcript data and related clinical data were downloaded from the public database Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA),and the relative proportions of 22 invasive immune cell types were calculated by Cibersort software.Perl was used to assess the correlation between the pattern of immune cell invasion and clinical characteristics(age,clinical stage,tumor grade)in cervical cancer,and the correlation between the pattern of immune cell invasion and survival in cervical cancer was calculated by the K-M Log-Rank method.Result:The distribution of immune cells in 306 cases of cervical cancer and 3 cases of normal tissues was assessed using Cibersort.Compared with normal tissues,the contents of resting dendritic cells,activated dendritic cells,M1 macrophages and activated CD4+memory T cells were higher;the contents of M2 macrophages,neutrophils,regulatory T cells and activated mast cells were lower in cervical cancer tissues.The contents of M1 macrophages,unactivated CD4+memory T cells,andγδT cells were positively correlated with patient age(P<0.05).The contents of follicular helper T cells,activated and unactivated natural killer(NK)cells,and naive CD4 T cells were negatively correlated with patient age(P<0.05).Those with high resting dendritic cell composition had shorter overall survival,while those with high follicular helper T cell composition had longer overall survival(P<0.05).Conclusion:Compared with normal tissues,the composition of immune cells in cervical cancer tissues has certain specificity,which can provide reference for the early screening and diagnosis of the disease.Patients in different age groups may have different immune cell infiltration patterns,which can be used as a basis to explore drug targets in clinical practice.Resting dendritic cells and follicular helper T cells in cervical cancer can be used as possible efficacy predictors of clinical immunotherapy for cervical cancer.
基金supported by the Key R&D Program of Zhejiang(2022C03163 to X.F.).National Key Research and Development Program of China(2018YFC2001905 to X.A.)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)(82230074 to X.F.,82072221 to K.Z.)the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province(LZ22H150002 to K.Z.).
文摘Background Pediatric sepsis is a complicated condition characterized by life-threatening organ failure resulting from a dysregulated host response to infection in children.It is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality,and rapid detection and administration of antimicrobials have been emphasized.The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic biomarkers of pediatric sepsis and the function of immune cell infiltration in the development of this illness.Methods Three gene expression datasets were available from the Gene Expression Omnibus collection.First,the differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were found with the use of the R program,and then gene set enrichment analysis was carried out.Subsequently,the DEGs were combined with the major module genes chosen using the weighted gene co-expression network.The hub genes were identified by the use of three machine-learning algorithms:random forest,support vector machine-recursive feature elimination,and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator.The receiver operating characteristic curve and nomogram model were used to verify the discrimination and efficacy of the hub genes.In addition,the inflammatory and immune status of pediatric sepsis was assessed using cell-type identification by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcripts(CIBERSORT).The relationship between the diagnostic markers and infiltrating immune cells was further studied.Results Overall,after overlapping key module genes and DEGs,we detected 402 overlapping genes.As pediatric sepsis diagnostic indicators,CYSTM1(AUC=0.988),MMP8(AUC=0.973),and CD177(AUC=0.986)were investigated and demonstrated statistically significant differences(P<0.05)and diagnostic efficacy in the validation set.As indicated by the immune cell infiltration analysis,multiple immune cells may be involved in the development of pediatric sepsis.Additionally,all diagnostic characteristics may correlate with immune cells to varying degrees.Conclusions The candidate hub genes(CD177,CYSTM1,and MMP8)were identified,and the nomogram was constructed for pediatric sepsis diagnosis.Our study could provide potential peripheral blood diagnostic candidate genes for pediatric sepsis patients.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.82300347Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo,No.2021J296Science Foundation of Lihuili Hospital,No.2022ZD004.
文摘BACKGROUND Diabetic cardiomyopathy(DCM)is a multifaceted cardiovascular disorder in which immune dysregulation plays a pivotal role.The immunological molecular mechanisms underlying DCM are poorly understood.AIM To examine the immunological molecular mechanisms of DCM and construct diagnostic and prognostic models of DCM based on immune feature genes(IFGs).METHODS Weighted gene co-expression network analysis along with machine learning methods were employed to pinpoint IFGs within bulk RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)datasets.Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis(ssGSEA)facilitated the analysis of immune cell infiltration.Diagnostic and prognostic models for these IFGs were developed and assessed in a validation cohort.Gene expression in the DCM cell model was confirmed through real time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting techniques.Additionally,single-cell RNA-seq data provided deeper insights into cellular profiles and interactions.RESULTS The overlap between 69 differentially expressed genes in the DCM-associated module and 2483 immune genes yielded 7 differentially expressed immune-related genes.Four IFGs showed good diagnostic and prognostic values in the validation cohort:Proenkephalin(Penk)and retinol binding protein 7(Rbp7),which were highly expressed,and glucagon receptor and inhibin subunit alpha,which were expressed at low levels in DCM patients(all area under the curves>0.9).SsGSEA revealed that IFG-related immune cell infiltration primarily involved type 2 T helper cells.High expression of Penk(P<0.0001)and Rbp7(P=0.001)was detected in cardiomyocytes and interstitial cells and further confirmed in a DCM cell model in vitro.Intercellular events and communication analysis revealed abnormal cellular phenotype transformation and signaling communication in DCM,especially between mesenchymal cells and macrophages.CONCLUSION The present study identified Penk and Rbp7 as potential DCM biomarkers,and aberrant mesenchymal-immune cell phenotype communication may be an important aspect of DCM pathogenesis.
基金approved by the Sixth Affiliated Hospital,Sun Yat-sen University,Guangzhou,China(No.2022ZSLYEC-227)Participants did not need informed consent to partici-pate in the study before taking part in this retrospective study.
文摘Background:The tumor microenvironment plays an essential role in the therapeutic response to immunotherapy.It is necessary to identify immune cell infiltration(ICI)subtypes for evaluating prognosis and therapeutic benefits.This study aimed to evaluate the ICI score as an effective prognostic biomarker for immune response.Methods:The cell-type identification by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcripts and the estimation of stromal and immune cells in malignant tumors using expression methods were used to analyse ICI landscapes in 161 colorectal cancer(CRC)samples with patients’clinical and prognostic data,RNA sequencing data,and whole-exome sequencing data from the Sixth Affiliated Hospital,Sun Yat-sen University(Guangzhou,China).Statistical analysis and data processing were conducted to calculate ICI scores,and to analyse the prognosis of CRC patients with different ICI scores and other features.A similar analysis with RNA sequencing and clinical data of colon adenocarcinoma(COAD)samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database was conducted to confirm the correctness of the findings.Results:The high-ICI score group with a better prognosis(hazard ratio[HR],2.19;95%confidence interval[CI],1.03–4.64;logrank test,P=0.036)was characterized by the increased tumor mutational burden and interleukin-17(IL-17)signaling pathway.Significant differences in the prognosis and the expression levels of immune checkpoints and chemokine marker genes were found between the two ICI score groups.For COAD samples from TCGA,the results also showed a significant difference in patients’prognosis between the two ICI score groups(HR,1.72;95%CI,1.00–2.96;log-rank test,P=0.047).Conclusions:Tumor heterogeneity induced differences in identifying ICI subtypes of CRC patients.The ICI score may serve as an effective biomarker for predicting prognosis,help identify new therapeutic markers for CRC,and develop novel effective immune checkpoint blockade therapies.
文摘Background: A major cause of cancer death worldwide is bladder cancer, which is the most common malignant tumor of the urinary tract. PAEP is a member of the kernel lipocalin superfamily whose members share relatively low sequence similarity but have highly conserved exon/intron structure and three-dimensional protein folding. Most lipocalins are clustered on the long arm of chromosome 9. The purpose of this study was to clarify the correlation between PAEP expression level and bladder cancer. Methods: In the TCGA database, we obtained clinical and RNA sequencing data of 431 BLCA patients, including 412 BLCA tissues and 19 normal bladder tissues in the study. Analyses of bioinformatics were conducted in this study to determine the role of PAEP in bladder cancer. A quantitative real-time PCR method was used to quantitate the gene expression profile. Additionally, the effect of PAEP on tumor immune infiltration and prognosis was analyzed. Results: PAEP was a poor prognostic biomarker of bladder cancer because it was significantly upregulated. bladder cancer patients with higher PAEP expression had poor outcomes. An AUC of 0.780 was calculated from the area under the ROC curve. PAEP was associated with T stage, pathologic stage, Histologic grade and Subtype of bladder cancer patients, and served as an independent predictor of overall survival in bladder cancer patients. Functional enrichment analysis revealed PAEP was obviously enriched in pathways connected with carcinogenesis and immunosuppression. The expression of PAEP was significantly associated with tumor immune cells and immune checkpoints according to ssGSEA and Spearman correlation analysis. Conclusions: In this study, we screened and detected a mRNA, PAEP is a prognostic and immune-related biomarker in BLCA, which may contribute to the early diagnosis and treatment of BLCA.
基金Beijing Health Technologies Promotion Program(Grant/Award Number:BHTPP202007)Research and Development Foundation of Peking University People’s Hospital(Grant/Award Number:RDL2021‐05)Capital Health Research and Development of Special Fund(Grant/Award Number:2020‐1‐2051)。
文摘Objectives:Allergic rhinitis(AR)refers to a form of respiratory inflammation that mainly affects the sinonasal mucosa.The purpose of this study was to explore the level of immune cell infiltration and the pathogenesis of AR.Methods:We performed a comprehensive analysis of two gene expression profiles(GSE50223 and GSE50101,a total of 30 patients with AR and 31 healthy controls).CIBERSORT was used to evaluate the immune cell infiltration levels.Weighted gene coexpression network analysis was applied to explore potential genes or gene modules related to immune status,and enrichment analyses including gene ontology,Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes,gene set enrichment analysis,and gene set variation analysis,were performed to analyze the potential mechanisms in AR.A protein–protein interaction network was constructed to investigate the hub genes,and consensus clustering was conducted to identify the molecular subtypes of AR.Results:Compared to the healthy controls,patients with AR had high abundance levels and proportions of CD4+memory‐activated T cells.One hundred and eight immune‐related differentially expressed genes were identified.Enrichment analysis suggested that AR was mainly related to leukocyte cell‐cell adhesion,cytokine‐cytokine receptor interaction,T‐cell activation,and T‐cell receptor signaling pathway.Ten hub genes,includingTYROBP,CSF1R,TLR8,FCER1G,SPI1,ITGAM,CYBB,FCGR2A,CCR1,andHCK,which were related to immune response,might be crucial to the pathogenesis of AR.Three molecular subtypes with significantly different immune statuses were identified.Conclusion:This study improves our understanding of the molecular mechanisms in AR via comprehensive strategies and provides potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets of AR.
文摘Background Small cell lung cancer(SCLC)is a highly malignant and aggressive neuroendocrine tumor.With the rise of immunotherapy,it has provided a new direction for SCLC.However,due to the lack of prognostic biomarkers,the median overall survival of SCLC is still to be improved.This study aimed to explore novel biomarkers and tumor-infiltrating immune cell characteristics that may serve as potential diagnostic and prognostic markers in SCLC.Methods Gene expression profiles from patients with SCLC were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database,and tumor microenvironment(TME)infiltration profile data were obtained using CIBERSORT.The robust rank aggregation(RRA)method was utilized to integrate three SCLC microarray datasets downloaded from the GEO database and identify robust differentially expressed genes(DEGs)between normal and tumor tissue samples.Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analyses were performed to explore the functions of the robust DEGs.Subsequently,protein-protein interaction networks and key modules were constructed by Cytoscape,and hub genes were selected from the whole network using the plugin cytoHubba.Survival analysis of hub genes was performed by Kaplan-Meier plotter in 18 patients with extensive-stage SCLC.Results A total of 312 robust DEGs,including 55 upregulated and 257 downregulated genes,were screened from 129 SCLC tissue samples and 44 normal tissue samples.GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that the robust DEGs were predominantly involved in human T-cell leukemia virus 1 infection,focal adhesion,complement and coagulation cascades,tumor necrosis factor(TNF)signaling pathway,and ECM-receptor interaction,which are closely associated with the development and progression of SCLC.Subsequently,three DEGs modules and six hub genes(ITGA10,DUSP12,PTGS2,FOS,TGFBR2,and ICAM1)were identified through screening with the Cytoscape plugins MCODE and cytoHubba,respectively.Immune cell infiltration analysis by the CIBERSORT algorithm revealed that resting memory CD4+T cells were the predominant infiltrating immune cells in SCLC.In addition,Kaplan-Meier plotter revealed that the gene prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2)was a potential prognostic biomarker of SCLC.Conclusions Hub genes and tumor-infiltrating immune cells may be the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of SCLC,and this finding could contribute to the formulation of individualized immunotherapy strategies for SCLC.
基金Beijing Hope Run Special Fund of Cancer Foundation of China,No.LC2020L05.
文摘BACKGROUND Spindle and kinetochore-associated complex subunit 3(SKA3)is a malignancyassociated gene that plays a critical role in the regulation of chromosome separation and cell division.However,the molecular mechanism through which SKA3 regulates tumor cell proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has not been fully elucidated.AIM To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of SKA3 in HCC.METHODS SKA3 expression,clinicopathological,and survival analyses were performed using multiple public database platforms,and the results were verified by Western blot and immunohistochemistry staining using collected clinical samples.Functional enrichment analyses were performed to evaluate the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of SKA3 in HCC.Furthermore,the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource and single-sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis(ssGSEA)algorithms were utilized to investigate the abundance of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in HCC.The response to chemotherapeutic drugs was evaluated by the R package“pRRophetic”.RESULTS We found that upregulated SKA3 expression was significantly correlated with poor prognosis in patients with HCC.Multivariable Cox regression analysis indicated that SKA3 was an independent risk factor for survival.GSEA revealed that SKA3 expression may facilitate proliferation and migratory processes by regulating the cell cycle and DNA repair.Moreover,patients with high SKA3 expression had significantly decreased ratios of CD8+T cells,natural killer cells,and dendritic cells.Drug sensitivity analysis showed that the high SKA3 group was more sensitive to sorafenib,sunitinib,paclitaxel,doxorubicin,gemcitabine,and vx-680.CONCLUSION High SKA3 expression led to poor prognosis in patients with HCC by enhancing HCC proliferation and repressing immune cell infiltration surrounding HCC.SKA3 may be used as a biomarker for poor prognosis and as a therapeutic target in HCC.
基金funded by the Sichuan Natural Science Foundation(No.2022NSFSCO654)the Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province Open Fund(No.2020FSZLX-03)the UESTC-Sichuan Cancer Hospital 2021 Medical-Engineering Oncology Innovation Fund(No.ZYGX2021YGCX013).
文摘Tanshinone IIA,one of the main ingredients of Danshen,is used to treat hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).However,potential targets of the molecule in the therapy of HCC are unknown.Methods:In this study,we collected the tanshinone IIA targets from public databases for investigation.We screened differentially expressed genes(DEGs)across HCC and normal tissues using mRNA expression profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA).Univariate Cox regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)Cox regression models were used to identify and construct the prognostic gene signature.Results:Finally,we discovered common genes across tanshinone IIA targets and HCC DEGs.We reported Fatty acid binding protein-6(FABP6),Polo-like Kinase 1(PLK1),deoxythymidylate kinase(DTYMK),Uridine Cytidine Kinase 2(UCK2),Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2(EZH2),and Cytochrome P4502C9(CYP2C9)as components of a gene signature.The six-gene signature’s prognostic ability was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier curve,time-dependent receiver operating characteristic(ROC),multivariate Cox regression analysis,and the nomogram.The mRNA level and protein expression of UCK2 were experimentally validated after treatment with different concentrations of tanshinone IIA in HEPG2 cells.CIBERSORTx,TIMER2.0,and GEPIA2 tools were employed to explore the relationship between the prognostic signature and immune cell infiltration.Conclusion:We established a six-gene signature as a reliable model with significant therapeutic possibility for prognosis and overall survival estimation in HCC patients,which might also benefit medical decision-making for appropriate treatment.
文摘Background:Ferroptosis is an iron dependent form of cell death,which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of a variety of urinary malignancies.The down-regulation of DECR1 gene causes the accumulation of polyunsaturated fatty acids(PUFAs),increases the susceptibility to lipid peroxidation,and finally leads to cell death.Methods:We first searched the data to find reductase 1(DECR1)expression in bladder uroepithelial carcinoma and healthy surrounding tissues in the Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA),and we then confirmed DECR1 expression with additional independent cohorts in the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database and the Human Protein Atlas(HPA).In order to determine the link between DECR1 expression and clinical traits and overall survival(OS),as well as to create nomograms,multivariate analysis and Kaplan Meier survival curves were utilized.Through the use of an online string website,the network of proteins that interact with DECR1 was created.Through an online string website,the protein network interacting with DECR1 was built.Finally,we looked at the association between aggressive immune cells and the marker genes that belong to them and DECR1 expression.Results:When compared to normal tissues,bladder tumor tissues had higher DECR1 expression(P=0.002).Low DECR1 expression was linked with tumor grade and stage in tumor cells.BLCA patients with low DECR1 expression had a lower overall survival than BLCA patients with high DECR1 expression,according to a survival study(P=0.008).The protein network’s HSD17B4 and DECR1 connections are crucial.The expression of regulatory T cells,regulatory B cells,and their markers were decreased when DECR1 was missing in bladder cancer.Conclusion:Decreased DECR1 expression was associated with BLCA progression,poor prognosis and impaired infiltration of some immune cells.
基金Supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(no.82001785)Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology(CSCO)-HengruiOncology Research Fund(No.Y-HR2020QN-0946).
文摘Background:Lung cancer,particularly lung adenocarcinoma(LUAD),is highly lethal.Understanding the critical interaction between epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)and the immune status of patients is imperative for clinical assessment.Methods:We conducted bioinformatics analysis to identify potential immune-related EMT(iEMT)prognostic genes and explored the immune status in LUAD.Using data from The CancerGenome Atlas andGSE68465,differentially expressed genes,were identified,and a risk modelwas constructed.Cluster analysis was conducted using the Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways.Results:Our findings revealed 69 differentially expressed iEMT genes,with risk values demonstrating independent prognostic significance for both The Cancer Genome Atlas and GSE68465 samples.The risk value was positively correlated with tumor stage.Immune cell infiltration analysis showed a significant decrease in resting dendritic cells and an increase in CD4 memory T cells in high-risk groups with poor survival prognoses.The immunotherapy analysis revealed weak immunotherapeutic effects in the high-risk group.Conclusions:This study provides insights into potential aberrant differential iEMT genes and risk models and explores immune landscapes that inform personalized immunotherapy in patients with LUAD.
基金This work was supported by the National Key Technologies R&D Program(Grant No.2015BAI12B12)the National Key R&D Program(Grant No.2018YFC1313400)+2 种基金grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.81802873 and 81672697)the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin(Grant No.18JCQNJC81300)the Tianjin Municipal Education Commission Program(Grant No.2017KJ197).
文摘Objective:Patients with non–small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)respond differently to cytokine-induced killer cell(CIK)treatment.Therefore,potential prognostic markers to identify patients who would benefit from CIK treatment must be elucidated.The current research aimed at identifying predictive prognostic markers for efficient CIK treatment of patients with NSCLC.Methods:Patients histologically diagnosed with NSCLC were enrolled from the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital.We performed whole-exome sequencing(WES)on the tumor tissues and paired adjacent benign tissues collected from 50 patients with NSCLC,and RNA-seq on tumor tissues of 17 patients with NSCLC before CIK immunotherapy treatment.Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to analyze the association between clinical parameters and prognostic relevance.WES and RNA-seq data between lung squamous cell carcinoma(SCC)and adenocarcinoma(Aden)were analyzed and compared.Results:The pathology subtype of lung cancer was the most significantly relevant clinical parameter associated with DFS,as analyzed by multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression(P=0.031).The patients with lung SCC showed better CIK treatment efficacy and extended DFS after CIK treatment.Relatively low expression of HLA class II genes and checkpoint molecules,and less immunosuppressive immune cell infiltration were identified in the patients with lung SCC.Conclusions:Coordinated suppression of the expression of HLA class II genes and checkpoint molecules,as well as less immune suppressive cell infiltration together contributed to the better CIK treatment efficacy in lung SCC than lung Aden.
基金Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo(Grant No.2021J261).
文摘Oxidative stress(OS)is intimately associated with tumorigenesis and has been considered a potential therapeutic strategy.However,the OS-associated therapeutic target for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)remains unconfirmed.In our study,gene expression data of ESCC and clinical information from public databases were downloaded.Through LASSO-Cox regression analysis,a risk score(RS)signature map of prognosis was constructed and performed external verification with the GSE53625 cohort.The ESTIMATE,xCell,CIBERSORT,TIMER,and ImmuCellAI algorithms were employed to analyze infiltrating immune cells and generate an immune microenvironment(IM).Afterward,functional enrichment analysis clarified the underlying mechanism of the model.Nomogram was utilized for forecasting the survival rate of individual ESCC cases.As a result,we successfully constructed an OS-related genes(OSRGs)model and found that the survival rate of high-risk groups was lower than that of low-risk groups.The AUC of the ROC verified the strong prediction performance of the signal in these two cohorts further.According to independent prognostic analysis,the RS was identified as an independent risk factor for ESCC.The nomogram and follow-up data revealed that the RS possesses favorable predictive value for the prognosis of ESCC patients.qRT-PCR detection demonstrated increased expression of MPC1,COX6C,CYB5R3,CASP7,and CYCS in esophageal cancer patients.In conclusion,we have constructed an OSRGs model for ESCC to predict patients’prognosis,offering a novel insight into the potential application of the OSRGs model in ESCC.
基金Supported by Talent Scientific Research Start-up Foundation of Wannan Medical College,No.WYRCQD2023045.
文摘BACKGROUND Liver cancer(LIHC)is a malignant tumor that occurs in the liver and has a high mortality in cancer.The ING family genes were identified as tumor suppressor genes.Dysregulated expression of these genes can lead to cell cycle arrest,senescence and/or apoptosis.ING family genes are promising targets for anticancer therapy.However,their role in LIHC is still not well understood.AIM To have a better understanding of the important roles of ING family members in LIHC.METHODS A series of bioinformatics approaches(including gene expression analysis,genetic alteration analysis,survival analysis,immune infiltration analysis,prediction of upstream microRNAs(miRNAs)and long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs)of ING1,and ING1-related gene functional enrichment analysis)was applied to study the expression profile,clinical relationship,prognostic significance and immune infiltration of ING in LIHC.The relationship between ING family genes expression and tumor associated immune checkpoints was investigated in LIHC.The molecular mechanism of ING1 mediated hepatocarcinogenesis was preliminarily discussed.RESULTS mRNA/protein expression of different ING family genes in LIHC was analyzed in different databases,showing that ING family genes were highly expressed in LIHC.In 47 samples from 366 LIHC patients,the ING family genes were altered at a rate of 13%.By comprehensively analyzing the expression,clinical pathological parameters and prognostic value of ING family genes,ING1/5 was identified.ING1/5 was related to poor prognosis of LIHC,suggesting that they may play key roles in LIHC tumorigenesis and progression.One of the target miRNAs of ING1 was identified as hsa-miR-214-3p.Two upstream lncRNAs of hsa-miR-214-3p,U91328.1,and HCG17,were identified.At the same time,we found that the expression of ING family genes was correlated with immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint genes.CONCLUSION This study lays a foundation for further research on the potential mechanism and clinical value of ING family genes in the treatment and prognosis of LIHC.
基金supported by grants from the Tianjin Health Technology Project(Grant no.2022QN106).
文摘Background:The ORAI family of proteins,comprising ORAI1,ORAI2,and ORAI3,plays a crucial role in the regulation of intracellular calcium signaling,which is essential for various cellular functions including proliferation,differentiation,and apoptosis.Dysregulation of calcium signaling has been implicated in cancer pathogenesis,influencing tumor progression,metastasis,and resistance to therapy.This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the ORAI family members across a broad spectrum of cancers.Methods:Publicly available datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Gene Expression Omnibus were utilized.RNA sequencing data,mutation profiles,copy number variation data,and methylation data across different cancer types were analyzed.Differential expression analysis,survival analysis,copy number variation analysis,mutation analysis,methylation analysis,immune cell infiltration analysis using the Cibersort algorithm,and gene set enrichment analysis were conducted using R software.Results:ORAI1 and ORAI3 were significantly upregulated in glioblastoma multiforme,whereas ORAI2 was notably downregulated in kidney chromophobe and pancreatic adenocarcinoma.ORAI2 exhibited higher mutation rates and copy number gains in multiple cancers compared to ORAI1 and ORAI3.The hypermethylation of ORAI2 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma,esophageal carcinoma,and glioblastoma multiforme negatively correlated with its gene expression.ORAI1 and ORAI3 expression positively correlated with regulatory T cells infiltration,whereas ORAI2 showed a negative correlation with CD8^(+)T cell infiltration.Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that ORAI1 and ORAI2 are associated with immune-related pathways,while ORAI3 is linked to MYC targets and oxidative phosphorylation.Conclusion:Our pan-cancer analysis reveals significant differential expression,genomic alterations,and epigenetic regulation of ORAI family members across various cancers.ORAI1 and ORAI3 appear to promote an immunosuppressive environment,whereas ORAI2 may function as a tumor suppressor in certain contexts.These findings provide a foundation for future research targeting ORAI-mediated pathways in cancer therapy and highlight the therapeutic potential of ORAI proteins.
基金supported by grants from the Key Project of the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology(2017ZX10202202 and 2018ZX10302206)National Natural Science Foundation of China(81970522)+1 种基金the Key Research and Development Project of Shandong Province(2019GSF108023)Shandong University Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation Team of Young Scholars(2020QNQT11)。
文摘Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is a common malignant tumor with high mortality. The prognostic significance of Ran, a member of Ras superfamily, remains unclear in HCC patients. Methods: Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA) database and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource(TIMER), we analyzed the correlations among Ran expression, promoter methylation and immune cell infiltration. We also investigated the Ran expression levels in HCC tissues and normal tissues by using quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Ran m RNA expression was significantly increased in HCC tissues compared with the normal tissues( P < 0.001). Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves showed that Ran expression had predictive value of the 1-, 3-and 5-year overall survival for HCC patients, and the areas under the curves(AUC) were 0.747, 0.634 and 0.704, respectively. Cox regression analysis showed that Ran expression was an independent prognostic factor for HCC patients(HR = 1.492, 95% CI: 1.129-1.971, P = 0.005). We also found a negative relationship between Ran m RNA expression and its promoter methylation( r =-0.36, P < 0.001). High Ran expression and promoter hypomethylation predicted worse overall survival and progression-free survival( P < 0.05) and were involved in the progression of HCC. Ran expression exhibited significant correlations with immune infiltrates and prognostic immune-related genes. Conclusions: The present study provides further insight into the prognosis of HCC, and Ran could serve as a biomarker for predicting the survival of HCC patients.
基金Supported by The Scientific Research Project of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine of Tianjin Health Commission Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine,No.2021010 and No.2023166Xiao-Ping Chen Foundation for the Development of Science and Technology of Hubei Province,No.CXPJJH122002-073.
文摘BACKGROUND China's most frequent malignancy is gastric cancer(GC),which has a very poor survival rate,and the survival rate for patients with advanced GC is dismal.Pyroptosis has been connected to the genesis and development of cancer.The function of pyroptosis-related long non-coding RNAs(PRLs)in GC,on the other hand,remains uncertain.AIM To explore the construction and comprehensive analysis of the prognostic characteristics of long non-coding RNA(lncRNA)related to pyroptosis in GC patients.METHODS The TCGA database provided us with 352 stomach adenocarcinoma samples,and we obtained 28 pyroptotic genes from the Reactome database.We examined the correlation between lncRNAs and pyroptosis using the Pearson correlation coefficient.Prognosis-related PRLs were identified through univariate Cox analysis.A predictive signature was constructed using stepwise Cox regression analysis,and its reliability and independence were assessed.To facilitate clinical application,a nomogram was created based on this signature.we analyzed differences in immune cell infiltration,immune function,and checkpoints between the high-risk group(HRG)and low-risk group(LRG).RESULTS Five hundred and twenty-three PRLs were screened from all lncRNAs(absolute correlation coefficient>0.4,P<0.05).Nine PRLs were included in the risk prediction signature that was created through stepwise Cox regression analysis.We determined the risk score for GC patients and employed the median value as the dividing line between HRG and LRG.The ability of the risk signature to predict the overall survival(OS)of GC is demonstrated by the Kaplan-Meier analysis,risk curve,receiver operating characteristic curve,and decision curve analysis curve.The risk signature was shown to be an independent prognostic factor for OS in both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses.HRG showed a more efficient local immune response or modulation compared to LRG,as indicated by the predicted signal pathway analysis and examination of immune cell infiltration,function,and checkpoints(P<0.05).CONCLUSION In general,we have created a brand-new prognostic signature using PRLs,which may provide ideas for immunotherapy in patients with GC.
