Downregulation of FPN1 acts as a prognostic biomarker associated with immune infiltration in lung cancer

YTHDF2 negatively correlates with tumor immune infiltration in small cell lung cancer

In recent times, RNA modifications have garnered increased attention due to their involvement in the onset and progression of tumors, with N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification being the most prevalent form. YTHDF2 is an m6A reading protein that can modulate RNA stability, transcription, and translation. This study aimed to explore the role of YTHDF2 in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) by collecting 20 SCLC patients from our hospital (cohort 1) and 48 Chinese SCLC patients from the GEO database (cohort 2). We evaluated the prognostic value of YTHDF2 using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, Log-rank test, and Cox regression analysis. Additionally, we employed Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) to screen different signaling pathways. We also investigated the correlation between the expression of m6A-related genes and SCLC molecular subtype and tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Furthermore, we utilized multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) staining to validate the immune infiltration of SCLC patient tissue sections. Our study revealed that YTHDF2 is an independent prognostic factor, which high expression is associated with low overall survival rate in SCLC. Low expression of YTHDF2 in SCLC tumors may enhance the molecular subtype transition from neuroendocrine (NE) to non-neuroendocrine (non-NE) subtype. Low YTHDF2 expression was closely associated with high immune infiltration, immune checkpoints, and other immune-related molecular features. Additionally, mIF detection showed a correlation between the low expression of YTHDF2 and CD4 + T cells and CD8 + T cells. Taken together, YTHDF2 could serve as a potential prognostic biomarker negatively correlated with tumor immune infiltration in SCLC.

Sublobar resection versus lobectomy in the treatment of synchronous multiple primary lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

Although synchronous multiple primary lung cancers (sMPLCs) are common in clinical practice, the choice of surgical modalities for the main lesion is still at the stage of exploration. This study is designed to analyze the prognosis of sMPLCs and single primary lung cancers with similar tumor stages and to explore whether sublobar resection has a similar prognosis as lobectomy for sMPLCs.

METHODS

One-hundred forty-one cases of sMPLCs were selected, including the following: 65 cases underwent lobectomy for main lesions, and 76 cases underwent sublobar resection for main lesions. One thousand one hundred forty-four cases of single primary lung cancer were matched at 1:1 by propensity score matching. Then, the patients with sMPLCs were divided into a lobectomy group and a sublobar group according to the first tumor stage. Ninety-eight cases of patients with sMPLCs were matched. The short-term perioperative effect, 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rate between the two groups were compared.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in OS between sMPLCs and single primary lung cancer after lobectomy (77.1% vs. 77.2%, P = 0.157) and sublobar resection (98.7% vs. 90.7%, P = 0.309). There was no significant difference in OS (86.7% vs. 83.9%, P = 0.482) or DFS (67.6 vs. 87.7%, P = 0.324) between the lobectomy group and sublobar group with sMPLCs. The sublobar resection group obtained a lower incidence of postoperative complications (40.8% vs. 16.3%, P = 0.007) and shorter postoperative hospital stay (11.22 vs. 9.27, P = 0.049).

CONCLUSION

The prognosis of patients with sMPLCs generally depends on the main tumor state, which has no statistical difference regardless of sublobar resection or lobectomy, and the perioperative period of sublobar resection is safer than that of lobectomy.

Hepcidin is upregulated and is a potential therapeutic target associated with immunity in glioma

Background

Glioma is the most common primary malignant brain tumor with high mortality and poor prognosis. Hepcidin is a fascinating iron metabolism regulator. However, the prognostic value of hepcidin HAMP in gliomas and its correlation with immune cell infiltration remain unclear. Here, we comprehensively elucidate the prognostic value and potential role of hepcidin in gliomas.

Methods

Hepcidin gene expression and clinical characteristics in glioma were analyzed using the CGGA, TCGA, Rembrandt and Gravendeel glioma databases. A survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. A gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted to select the pathways significantly enriched for hepcidin associations. The correlations between hepcidin and immune cell infiltration and immunotherapy were analyzed using network platforms such as CIBERSORT and TIMER.

Results

In glioma tissues, the expression of hepcidin was significantly increased. High hepcidin expression is related to grade, age, PRS type, IDH mutation, chemotherapy status and 1p19q codeletion status, which significantly indicates the poor prognosis of glioma patients. Hepcidin can be used as an independent prognostic factor for glioma through the multivariate COX regression analysis. The results of Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) indicated that hepcidin was involved in the immune response. In addition, hepcidin expression was positively correlated with the degree of immune cell infiltration, the expression of various immune cell markers and the efficacy of immunotherapy.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that hepcidin can be used as a candidate biomarker to judge the prognosis and immune cell invasion of gliomas.

Pan-Cancer Integrated Analysis of HSF2 Expression, Prognostic Value and Potential Implications for Cancer Immunity

Heat shock factor 2 (HSF2), a transcription factor, plays significant roles in corticogenesis and spermatogenesis by regulating various target genes and signaling pathways. However, its expression, clinical significance and correlation with tumor-infiltrating immune cells across cancers have rarely been explored. In the present study, we comprehensively investigated the expression dysregulation and prognostic significance of HSF2, and the relationship with clinicopathological parameters and immune infiltration across cancers. The mRNA expression status of HSF2 was analyzed by TCGA, GTEx, and CCLE. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression were applied to explore the prognostic significance of HSF2 in different cancers. The relationship between HSF2 expression and DNA methylation, immune infiltration of different immune cells, immune checkpoints, tumor mutation burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (MSI) were analyzed using data directly from the TCGA database. HSF2 expression was dysregulated in the human pan-cancer dataset. High expression of HSF2 was associated with poor overall survival (OS) in BRCA, KIRP, LIHC, and MESO but correlated with favorable OS in LAML, KIRC, and PAAD. The results of Cox regression and nomogram analyses revealed that HSF2 was an independent factor for KIRP, ACC, and LIHC prognosis. GO, KEGG, and GSEA results indicated that HSF2 was involved in various oncogenesis- and immunity-related signaling pathways. HSF2 expression was associated with TMB in 9 cancer types and associated with MSI in 5 cancer types, while there was a correlation between HSF2 expression and DNA methylation in 27 types of cancer. Additionally, HSF2 expression was correlated with immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoint genes, and the tumor immune microenvironment in various cancers, indicating that HSF2 could be a potential therapeutic target for immunotherapy. Our findings revealed the important roles of HSF2 across different cancer types.

Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis Identifies Heat Shock Factor 2 as a Prognostic Biomarker Associated With Immune Cell Infiltration in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies and ranks as the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Heat shock factor 2 (HSF2) is a transcription factor that plays a critical role in development, particularly corticogenesis and spermatogenesis. However, studies examining the expression and prognostic value of HSF2 and its association with tumor-infiltrating immune cells in HCC are still rare. In the present study, we found that HSF2 expression was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues compared with normal liver tissues using the TCGA, ICGC, GEO, UALCAN, HCCDB and HPA databases. High HSF2 expression was associated with shorter survival of patients with HCC. Cox regression analyses and nomogram were used to evaluate the association of HSF2 expression with the prognosis of patients with HCC. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed that HSF2 was associated with various signaling pathways, including the immune response. Notably, HSF2 expression was significantly correlated with the infiltration levels of different immune cells using the TIMER database and CIBERSORT algorithm. HSF2 expression also displayed a significant correlation with multiple immune marker sets in HCC tissues. Knockdown of HSF2 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion and colony formation ability of HCC cells. In summary, we explored the clinical significance of HSF2 and provided a therapeutic basis for the early diagnosis, prognostic judgment, and immunotherapy of HCC.

The Role of Iron in Cancer Progression

Iron is an essential trace element for the human body, and its deficiency or excess can induce a variety of biological processes. Plenty of evidences have shown that iron metabolism is closely related to the occurrence and development of tumors. In addition, iron plays an important role in cell death, which is very important for the development of potential strategies for tumor treatment. Here, we reviewed the latest research about iron metabolism disorders in various types of tumors, the functions and properties of iron in ferroptosis and ferritinophagy, and new opportunities for iron-based on treatment methods for tumors, providing more information regarding the prevention and treatment of tumors.

Integrated analysis identifies TfR1 as a prognostic biomarker which correlates with immune infiltration in breast cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy with high morbidity and mortality in females worldwide. Emerging evidence indicates that transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) plays vital roles in regulating cellular iron import. However, the distinct role of TfR1 in BC remains elusive. TfR1 expression was investigated using the TCGA, GEO, TIMER, UALCAN and Oncomine databases. The prognostic potential of TfR1 was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Moreover, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were used to explore the molecular mechanism of TfR1. The potential link between TfR1 expression and infiltrating abundances of immune cells was examined through the TIMER and CIBERSORT algorithm. The expression of TfR1 was dramatically upregulated in BC tissues. Increased TfR1 expression and decreased methylation levels of TfR1 were strongly correlated with multiple clinicopathological parameters. Elevated TfR1 expression was associated with a poor survival rate in BC patients. The nomogram model further confirmed that TfR1 could act as an independent prognostic biomarker in BC. The results of GO, KEGG and GSEA revealed that TfR1 was closely correlated with multiple signaling pathways and immune responses. Additionally, TfR1 was positively associated with the infiltration abundances of six major immune cells, including CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, B cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells in BC. Interestingly, TfR1 influenced prognosis partially through immune infiltration. These comprehensive bioinformatics analyses suggest that TfR1 is a new independent prognostic biomarker and a potential target for immunotherapy in BC.

Ceruloplasmin correlates with immune infiltration and serves as a prognostic biomarker in breast cancer

Breast-invasive carcinoma (BRCA) is the most frequent and malignant tumor in females. Ceruloplasmin (CP) is a multifunctional molecule involved in iron metabolism, but its expression profile, prognostic potential and relationship with immune cell infiltration in BRCA are unknown. Ceruloplasmin mRNA and protein expression was significantly decreased in BRCA patients according to the Oncomine, UALCAN, GEPIA and TCGA databases. Ceruloplasmin expression was strongly correlated with various clinicopathological features of BRCA patients. BRCA patients with high ceruloplasmin expression exhibited shorter survival times than those with low ceruloplasmin expression based on the Kaplan-Meier plotter and PrognoScan databases. GO and KEGG analyses and GSEA revealed a strong correlation between ceruloplasmin and various immune-related pathways. Ceruloplasmin expression was significantly associated with the infiltration of immune cells into tumor sites by analyzing the TIMER and CIBERSORT. Additionally, ceruloplasmin was positively correlated with immune checkpoints in BRCA. These findings suggest that low ceruloplasmin expression correlates with a favorable prognosis and tumor immune cell infiltration in BRCA patients. Ceruloplasmin may serve as a therapeutic target and predict the efficacy of immunotherapy for BRCA.