A pyroptosis-related lncRNA signature predicts prognosis and immune microenvironment in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Wenying Zhu; Zhipeng Ye; Ling Chen; Haifeng Liang; Qian Cai

doi:10.1016/j.intimp.2021.108268

A pyroptosis-related lncRNA signature predicts prognosis and immune microenvironment in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Int Immunopharmacol. 2021 Dec;101(Pt B):108268. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.108268. Epub 2021 Oct 20.

Authors

Wenying Zhu¹, Zhipeng Ye², Ling Chen¹, Haifeng Liang¹, Qian Cai³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otolaryngology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
² Department of Medical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
³ Department of Otolaryngology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: caiqian2@mail.sysu.edu.cn.

PMID: 34688154
DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.108268

Abstract

Background: Pyroptosis, a type of regulated cell death controlled by the gasdermin family of proteins to form plasma membrane pores is known. Nonetheless, the function of pyroptosis-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in this process still lacks exhaustive elucidation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Other attributes encompassing the function of such lncRNAs in the immune microenvironment and potential prognosis for HNSCC are yet to see the light of the day. This work was designed to probe the possible prognostic worth of pyroptosis-related lncRNAs along with their impact on the immune microenvironment in the case of HNSCC.

Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was the source of RNA-sequencing data of HNSCC patients. Pearson correlation analysis was employed to scour for lncRNAs linked to pyroptosis based on 40 genes related to the process. Following the construction of a pyroptosis-related lncRNA signature employing univariate, Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression analyses, survival and nomogram analyses ensued to scrutinize the predictive value of the prognostic signature.

Results: The segregation of patients into two risk groups was done by the constructed pyroptosis-related-lncRNA signature (encompassing 14 lncRNAs). The prognosis was poorer for individuals of the high-risk group versus (vs.) the low-risk group with the risk score emerging as an independent prognostic factor by regression analyses. The accuracy of this signature was corroborated by Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis with the three-years area under time-dependent ROC curve (AUC) reaching 0.767. Further analyses unveiled a conspicuous enrichment of immune-related pathways in the low-risk group. The high-risk group demonstrated an immunologically "cold" profile based on the immune cell infiltration landscape.

Conclusions: The lncRNA signature encompassing 14 pyroptosis-related lncRNAs could be a prognostic marker for HNSCC, suggesting pyroptosis might be a promising therapeutic target in HNSCC.

Keywords: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC); Immune environment; Long non-coding RNA(LncRNA); Prognosis; Pyroptosis.

MeSH terms

Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics*
Female
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
Head and Neck Neoplasms / diagnosis*
Head and Neck Neoplasms / genetics
Head and Neck Neoplasms / mortality
Humans
Immunity / genetics
Male
Middle Aged
Prognosis
Pyroptosis
RNA, Long Noncoding / genetics*
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / diagnosis*
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / genetics
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / mortality
Survival Analysis
Transcriptome
Tumor Microenvironment

Substances

Biomarkers, Tumor
RNA, Long Noncoding