Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis and Validation of the Prognostic Value of RBM10 Expression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Shu-Jie Pang; Zhe Sun; Wen-Feng Lu; Hui Si-Ma; Zhi-Peng Lin; Yang Shi; Ying-Cheng Yang; Xi-Jun Zhao; Guang-Shun Yang; Guang-Zhi Jin; Ning Yang

doi:10.2147/CMAR.S349884

Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis and Validation of the Prognostic Value of RBM10 Expression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Cancer Manag Res. 2022 Mar 4:14:969-980. doi: 10.2147/CMAR.S349884. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Shu-Jie Pang^#¹, Zhe Sun^#¹, Wen-Feng Lu^#¹, Hui Si-Ma¹, Zhi-Peng Lin², Yang Shi¹, Ying-Cheng Yang¹, Xi-Jun Zhao¹, Guang-Shun Yang¹, Guang-Zhi Jin³, Ning Yang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department V of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, People's Republic of China.
² Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The 940th Hospital of CPLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Lanzhou, 730050, People's Republic of China.
³ Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200336, People's Republic of China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Background: RBM10's function in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has rarely been addressed. We intend to explore the prognostic significance and therapeutic meaning of RBM10 in HCC in this study.

Methods: Multiple common databases were integrated to analyze the expression status and prognostic meaning of RBM10 in HCC. The relationship between RBM10 mRNA level and clinical features was also assessed. Multiple enrichment analyses of the differentially expressed genes between RBM10 high- and low- transcription groups were constructed by using R software (version 4.0.2). A Search Tool for Retrieval of Interacting Genes database was used to construct the protein-protein interaction network between RBM10 and other proteins. A tumor immune estimation resource database was employed to identify the relationship between RBM10 expression and immune cell infiltrates. The prognostic value of RBM10 expression was validated in our HCC cohort by immunohistochemistry test.

Results: The transcription of RBM10 mRNA was positively correlated with tumor histologic grade (p < 0.001), T classification (p < 0.001), and tumor stage (p < 0.001). High transcription of RBM10 in HCC predicted a dismal overall survival (p = 0.0037) and recurrence-free survival (p < 0.001). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, Gene Ontology, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis all revealed that RBM10 was involved in the regulation of cell cycle, DNA replication, and immune-related pathways. Tumor immune estimation analysis revealed that RBM10 transcription was positively related to multiple immune cell infiltrates and the expressions of PD-1 and PD-L1.

Conclusion: RBM10 was demonstrated to be a dismal prognostic factor and a potential biomarker for immune therapy in HCC in that it may be involved in the immune-related signaling pathways.

Keywords: RBM10; differentially expressed gene; hepatocellular carcinoma; integrated bioinformatics analysis; prognosis.

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the State Key Project for Liver Cancer (2012ZX10002017-004, 2017ZX10203205-001-002). The funder was not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of this article, or the decision to submit it for publication.