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Xu K, Dong M, Wu Z, Luo L, Xie F, Li F, Huang H, Wang F, Xiong X, Wen Z. Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Identifies Crucial Genes Influencing the Polarization of Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Liver Cancer. Int J Genomics 2024; 2024:7263358. [PMID: 38938448 PMCID: PMC11208785 DOI: 10.1155/2024/7263358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Background In the context of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are pivotal for the immunosuppressive nature of the tumor microenvironment (TME). This investigation delves into the functional transformations of TAMs within the TME by leveraging single-cell transcriptomics to pinpoint critical genes influencing TAM subset polarization. Methods We procured single-cell and bulk transcriptomic data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), implementing quality assurance, dimensional reduction, clustering, and annotation on the single-cell sequencing data. To examine cellular interactions, CellChat was utilized, while single-cell regulatory network inference and clustering (SCENIC) was applied to deduce transcription factors (TFs) and their associated targets. Through gene enrichment, survival, and immune infiltration correlation analyses, we sought to pinpoint and validate influential genes. A TAM model under HCC conditions was then established to confirm the expression levels of these key genes. Results Our analysis encompassed 74,742 cells and 23,110 genes. Through postdimensional reduction and clustering, we identified seven distinct cell types and nine TAM subtypes. Analysis via CellChat highlighted a predominance of M2-phenotype-inclined TAM subsets within the tumor's core. SCENIC pinpointed the transcription factor PRDM1 and its target genes as pivotal in this region. Further analysis indicated these genes' involvement in macrophage polarization. Employing trajectory analysis, survival analysis, and immune infiltration correlation, we scrutinized and validated genes likely directing M2 polarization. Experimental validation confirmed PRDM1's heightened expression in TAMs conditioned by HCC. Conclusions Our findings suggest the PRDM1 gene is a key regulator of M2 macrophage polarization, contributing to the immunosuppressive TME in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kedong Xu
- Department of GastroenterologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Mingyi Dong
- Department of GastroenterologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Zhengqiang Wu
- Department of GastroenterologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Linfei Luo
- Department of GastroenterologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Fei Xie
- Department of GastroenterologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Fan Li
- Department of GastroenterologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Hongyan Huang
- Department of GastroenterologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Fenfen Wang
- Department of GastroenterologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xiaofeng Xiong
- Department of GastroenterologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Zhili Wen
- Department of GastroenterologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
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Fu T, Wang X, Zhao X, Jiang Y, Liu X, Zhang H, Ren Y, Li Z, Hu X. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of decidual immune cell landscape in the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes induced by Toxoplasma gondii infection. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:213. [PMID: 38730500 PMCID: PMC11088043 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06266-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes, particularly in early pregnancy. Previous studies have illustrated the landscape of decidual immune cells. However, the landscape of decidual immune cells in the maternal-fetal microenvironment during T. gondii infection remains unknown. METHODS In this study, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze the changes in human decidual immune cells following T. gondii infection. The results of scRNA-seq were further validated with flow cytometry, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS Our results showed that the proportion of 17 decidual immune cell clusters and the expression levels of 21 genes were changed after T. gondii infection. Differential gene analysis demonstrated that T. gondii infection induced the differential expression of 279, 312, and 380 genes in decidual NK cells (dNK), decidual macrophages (dMφ), and decidual T cells (dT), respectively. Our results revealed for the first time that several previously unknown molecules in decidual immune cells changed following infection. This result revealed that the function of maternal-fetal immune tolerance declined, whereas the killing ability of decidual immune cells enhanced, eventually contributing to the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes. CONCLUSIONS This study provides valuable resource for uncovering several novel molecules that play an important role in the occurrence of abnormal pregnancy outcomes induced by T. gondii infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyi Fu
- Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyue Zhao
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medial University, Yantai, 264100, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuzhu Jiang
- Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xianbing Liu
- Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Haixia Zhang
- Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yushan Ren
- Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhidan Li
- Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xuemei Hu
- Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
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Gustafson JA, Gibson SB, Damaraju N, Zalusky MPG, Hoekzema K, Twesigomwe D, Yang L, Snead AA, Richmond PA, De Coster W, Olson ND, Guarracino A, Li Q, Miller AL, Goffena J, Anderson Z, Storz SHR, Ward SA, Sinha M, Gonzaga-Jauregui C, Clarke WE, Basile AO, Corvelo A, Reeves C, Helland A, Musunuri RL, Revsine M, Patterson KE, Paschal CR, Zakarian C, Goodwin S, Jensen TD, Robb E, McCombie WR, Sedlazeck FJ, Zook JM, Montgomery SB, Garrison E, Kolmogorov M, Schatz MC, McLaughlin RN, Dashnow H, Zody MC, Loose M, Jain M, Eichler EE, Miller DE. Nanopore sequencing of 1000 Genomes Project samples to build a comprehensive catalog of human genetic variation. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.03.05.24303792. [PMID: 38496498 PMCID: PMC10942501 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.05.24303792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Less than half of individuals with a suspected Mendelian condition receive a precise molecular diagnosis after comprehensive clinical genetic testing. Improvements in data quality and costs have heightened interest in using long-read sequencing (LRS) to streamline clinical genomic testing, but the absence of control datasets for variant filtering and prioritization has made tertiary analysis of LRS data challenging. To address this, the 1000 Genomes Project ONT Sequencing Consortium aims to generate LRS data from at least 800 of the 1000 Genomes Project samples. Our goal is to use LRS to identify a broader spectrum of variation so we may improve our understanding of normal patterns of human variation. Here, we present data from analysis of the first 100 samples, representing all 5 superpopulations and 19 subpopulations. These samples, sequenced to an average depth of coverage of 37x and sequence read N50 of 54 kbp, have high concordance with previous studies for identifying single nucleotide and indel variants outside of homopolymer regions. Using multiple structural variant (SV) callers, we identify an average of 24,543 high-confidence SVs per genome, including shared and private SVs likely to disrupt gene function as well as pathogenic expansions within disease-associated repeats that were not detected using short reads. Evaluation of methylation signatures revealed expected patterns at known imprinted loci, samples with skewed X-inactivation patterns, and novel differentially methylated regions. All raw sequencing data, processed data, and summary statistics are publicly available, providing a valuable resource for the clinical genetics community to discover pathogenic SVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas A. Gustafson
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sophia B. Gibson
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nikhita Damaraju
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Public Health Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Miranda PG Zalusky
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kendra Hoekzema
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - David Twesigomwe
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Lei Yang
- Pacific Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Wouter De Coster
- Applied and Translational Neurogenomics Group, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nathan D. Olson
- Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Andrea Guarracino
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
- Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
| | - Qiuhui Li
- Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Angela L. Miller
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Joy Goffena
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Zachery Anderson
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sophie HR Storz
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sydney A. Ward
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Maisha Sinha
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Claudia Gonzaga-Jauregui
- International Laboratory for Human Genome Research, Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación sobre el Genoma Humano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
| | - Wayne E. Clarke
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Outlier Informatics Inc., Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Mahler Revsine
- Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Cate R. Paschal
- Department of Laboratories, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christina Zakarian
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sara Goodwin
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | | | - Esther Robb
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Fritz J. Sedlazeck
- Human Genome Sequencing Center Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Justin M. Zook
- Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | | | - Erik Garrison
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Mikhail Kolmogorov
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael C. Schatz
- Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Richard N. McLaughlin
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Pacific Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Harriet Dashnow
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | | | - Matt Loose
- Deep Seq, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England
| | - Miten Jain
- Department of Bioengineering, Department of Physics, Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
| | - Evan E. Eichler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Danny E. Miller
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Yun HY. Leucine rich repeat LGI family member 3: Integrative analyses support its prognostic association with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e37183. [PMID: 38394487 PMCID: PMC11309673 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000037183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Leucine rich repeat LGI family member 3 (LGI3) is a member of the LGI protein family. Previous studies of our group have reported that LGI3 is expressed in adipose tissue, skin and brain, and serves as a multifunctional cytokine. LGI3 may also be involved in cytokine networks in various cancers. This study aimed to analyze differentially expressed genes in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) tissues and PAC cohort data in order to evaluate the prognostic role of LGI3. The expression microarray and the PAC cohort data were analyzed by bioinformatic methods for differential expression, protein-protein interactions, functional enrichment and pathway analyses, gene co-expression network analysis, and prognostic association analysis. Results showed that LGI3 expression was significantly reduced in PAC tissues. Nineteen upregulated genes and 31 downregulated genes in PAC tissues were identified as LGI3-regulated genes. Protein-protein interaction network analysis demonstrated that 92% (46/50) of the LGI3-regulated genes that were altered in PACs belonged to a protein-protein interaction network cluster. Functional enrichment and gene co-expression network analyses demonstrated that these genes in the network cluster were associated with various processes including inflammatory and immune responses, metabolic processes, cell differentiation, and angiogenesis. PAC cohort analyses revealed that low expression levels of LGI3 were significantly associated with poor PAC prognosis. Analysis of favorable or unfavorable prognostic gene products in PAC showed that 93 LGI3-regulated genes were differentially associated with PAC prognosis. LGI3 expression was correlated with the tumor-infiltration levels of various immune cells. Taken together, these results suggested that LGI3 may be a potential prognostic marker of PAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Young Yun
- Department of Biochemistry, Chung-Ang University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Xu Y, Lin Z, Ji Y, Zhang C, Tang X, Li C, Liu T. Pan-cancer analysis identifies RNF43 as a prognostic, therapeutic and immunological biomarker. Eur J Med Res 2023; 28:438. [PMID: 37848933 PMCID: PMC10580550 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-023-01383-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND RING finger protein 43 (RNF43), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, is a homologous gene mutated in several cancers. However, the pan-cancer panoramic picture of RNF43 and its predictive value for tumor immune phenotypes and immunotherapeutic efficacy are still largely unclear. Our study aims to clarify the functions of RNF43 in predicting the prognosis, immune signature, and immunotherapeutic efficacy in pan-cancer. METHODS By using RNA-seq, mutation, and clinical data from the TCGA database, the expression levels and prognostic significance of RNF43 in pan-cancer were analyzed. The genetic alteration characteristics of RNF43 were displayed by the cBioPortal database. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was performed to investigate the potential biological functions and signaling pathways modulated by RNF43 in cancers. The relationship of RNF43 expression with immune cell infiltration, and immune modulators expression was interpreted by the ESTIMATE algorithm, CIBERSORT algorithm, and TISIDB database. The correlations between RNF43, microsatellite instability (MSI), and tumor mutation burden (TMB) were also investigated. Furthermore, the predictive value of RNF43 for immunotherapeutic efficacy and drug sensitivity was further illustrated. Besides, immunohistochemistry (IHC) was employed to validate the expression of the RNF43 in different cancer types by our clinical cohorts, including patients with lung cancer, sarcoma, breast cancer, and kidney renal clear cell carcinoma. RESULTS The results demonstrated that RNF43 was abnormally expressed in multiple cancers, and RNF43 is a critical prognosis-related factor in several cancers. RNF43 was frequently mutated in several cancers with a high frequency of 4%, and truncating mutation was the most frequent RNF43 mutation type. RNF43 expression was linked to the abundance of several immune cell types, including CD8+ T cells, B cells, and macrophages within the tumor immune microenvironment. Furthermore, RNF43 expression was significantly correlated with the efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment, and it could predict the sensitivity of various anti-cancer drugs. Finally, IHC explored and validated the different expression levels of RNF43 in different cancers by our clinical samples. CONCLUSION Our results first present the expression pattern and the mutation signature of RNF43, highlighting that RNF43 is an important prognostic biomarker in pan-cancer. Furthermore, RNF43 seems to be a critical modulator in the tumor immune microenvironment and can function as a promising biomarker for predicting the immunotherapeutic efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment, and drug sensitivity in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingting Xu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 139# Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengjun Lin
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 139# Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuqiao Ji
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 139# Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Department of The Emergency, The Fourth People's Hospital of Zigong, Zigong, 643000, Sichuan, China
| | - Xianzhe Tang
- Department of Orthopedics, Chenzhou No.1, People's Hospital, Chenzhou, 423000, Hunan, China
| | - Chuan Li
- Department of Orthopaedic, 920Th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of Chinese People's Liberation Army, 212 Daguan Road, Xishan District, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| | - Tang Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 139# Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
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Yin L, Li W, Chen X, Wang R, Zhang T, Meng J, Li Z, Xu L, Yin R, Cheng B, Yang H. HOOK1 Inhibits the Progression of Renal Cell Carcinoma via TGF-β and TNFSF13B/VEGF-A Axis. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2206955. [PMID: 37085921 PMCID: PMC10265082 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202206955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence shows HOOK1 disordered in human malignancies. However, the clinicopathological and biological significance of HOOK1 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains rarely studied. In this study, the authors demonstrate that HOOK1 is downregulated in RCC samples with predicted poorer clinical prognosis. Mechanistically, HOOK1 inhibits tumor growth and metastasis via canonical TGF-β/ALK5/p-Smad3 and non-canonical TGF-β/MEK/ERK/c-Myc pathway. At the same time, HOOK1 inhibits RCC angiogenesis and sunitinib resistance by promoting degradation of TNFSF13B through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. In addition, HOOK1 is transcriptionally regulated by nuclear factor E2F3 in VHL dependent manner. Notably, an agonist of HOOK1, meletin, is screened and it shows antitumor activity more effectively when combined with sunitinib or nivolumab than it is used alone. The findings reveal a pivotal role of HOOK1 in anti-cancer treatment, and identify a novel therapeutic strategy for renal cell carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Yin
- Department of UrologyPutuo People's HospitalTongji UniversityShanghai200060P. R. China
- Department of UrologyRuijin HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai200025P. R. China
| | - Wenjia Li
- Department of Cardiovascular MedicineRuijin HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai200025P. R. China
| | - Xuxiao Chen
- Department of General SurgeryHepatobiliary SurgeryShanghai Institute of Digestive SurgeryRuijin HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai200025P. R. China
| | - Ronghao Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologySchool of Basic Medical SciencesSouthwest Medical UniversityLuzhou646000P. R. China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of UrologyPutuo People's HospitalTongji UniversityShanghai200060P. R. China
| | - Jialin Meng
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityAnhui Province Key Laboratory of Genitourinary DiseasesAnhui Medical UniversityHefei230032P. R. China
| | - Zhao Li
- Department of AnesthesiologyXiangya Hospital Central South UniversityChangsha410008P. R. China
| | - Li Xu
- Department of AnesthesiologyThe First People's Hospital of ChangdeChangde415000P. R. China
| | - Rui Yin
- Center for Reproductive MedicineShandong UniversityJinan250012P. R. China
| | - Bo Cheng
- Department of UrologyThe Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhou646000P. R. China
| | - Huan Yang
- Department of UrologyTongji HospitalTongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430030P. R. China
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Wang J, Shi F, Shan A. Transcriptome profile and clinical characterization of ICOS expression in gliomas. Front Oncol 2022; 12:946967. [PMID: 36276141 PMCID: PMC9582985 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.946967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Inducible co-stimulator (ICOS), an immune costimulatory molecule, has been found to play an essential role across various malignancies. This study investigated the transcriptome profile and clinical characterization of ICOS in gliomas. Clinical information and transcriptome data of 301 glioma samples were downloaded from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) dataset for analysis (CGGA301 cohort). Furthermore, the results were validated in 697 samples with RNAseq data from the TCGA glioma dataset and 325 gliomas with RNAseq data from the CGGA325 dataset. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate ICOS protein expression across different WHO grades in a tissue microarray (TMA). In addition, single-cell sequencing data from CGGA and GSE 163108 datasets were used to analyze the ICOS expression across different cell types. Statistical analyses and figure production were performed with R-language. We found that ICOS was significantly upregulated in higher-grade, IDH wild type, and mesenchymal subtype of gliomas. Functional enrichment analyses revealed that ICOS was mainly involved in glioma-related immune response. Moreover, ICOS showed a robust correlation with other immune checkpoints, including the PD1/PD-L1/PD-L2 pathway, CTLA4, ICOSL (ICOS ligand), and IDO1. Subsequent Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) analysis revealed that GBM patients with higher ICOS expression seemed to be more sensitive to ICB therapy. Furthermore, based on seven clusters of metagenes, GSVA identified that ICOS was tightly associated with HCK, LCK, MHC-I, MHC-II, STAT1, and interferon, especially with LCK, suggesting a strong correlation between ICOS and T-cell activity in gliomas. In cell lineage analysis, Higher-ICOS gliomas tended to recruit dendritic cells, monocytes, and macrophages into the tumor microenvironment. Single-cell sequencing analysis indicated that ICOS was highly expressed by regulatory T cells (Tregs), especially in mature Tregs. Finally, patients with higher ICOS had shortened survival. ICOS was an independent prognosticator for glioma patients. In conclusion, higher ICOS is correlated with more malignancy of gliomas and is significantly associated with Treg activity among glioma-related immune responses. Moreover, ICOS could contribute as an independent prognostic factor for gliomas. Our study highlights the role of ICOS in glioma and may facilitate therapeutic strategies targeting ICOS for glioma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Wang
- *Correspondence: Jin Wang, ; Fei Shi, ; Aijun Shan,
| | - Fei Shi
- *Correspondence: Jin Wang, ; Fei Shi, ; Aijun Shan,
| | - Aijun Shan
- *Correspondence: Jin Wang, ; Fei Shi, ; Aijun Shan,
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He S, Yu J, Sun W, Sun Y, Tang M, Meng B, Liu Y, Li J. A comprehensive pancancer analysis reveals the potential value of RAR-related orphan receptor C (RORC) for cancer immunotherapy. Front Genet 2022; 13:969476. [PMID: 36186454 PMCID: PMC9520743 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.969476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: RAR-related orphan receptor C (RORC) plays an important role in autoimmune responses and inflammation. However, its function in cancer immunity is still unclear. Its potential value in cancer immunotherapy (CIT) needs to be further studied. Methods: Expression and clinical data for 33 cancers were obtained from UCSC-Xena. The correlation between RORC expression and clinical parameters was analyzed using the limma software package to assess the prognostic value of RORC. Timer2.0 and DriverDBv3 were used to analyze the RORC mutation and methylation profiles. RORC-associated signaling pathways were identified by GSEA. The correlations of RORC expression with tumor microenvironment factors were further assessed, including immune cell infiltration (obtained by CIBERSORT) and immunomodulators (in pancancer datasets from the Tumor-Immune System Interactions and Drug Bank [TISIDB] database). In addition, the correlations of RORC with four CIT biomarkers (tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, programmed death ligand-1, and mismatch repair) were explored. Furthermore, three CIT cohorts (GSE67501, GSE168204, and IMvigor210) from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and a previously published study were used to determine the association between RORC expression and CIT response. Results: RORC was differentially expressed in many tumor tissues relative to normal tissues (20/33). In a small number of cancers, RORC expression was correlated with age (7/33), sex (4/33), and tumor stage (9/33). Furthermore, RORC expression showed prognostic value in many cancers, especially in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), brain lower grade glioma (LGG), and mesothelioma (MESO). The mutation rate of RORC in most cancer types was low, while RORC was hypermethylated or hypomethylated in multiple cancers. RORC was associated with a variety of biological processes and signal transduction pathways in various cancers. Furthermore, RORC was strongly correlated with immune cell infiltration, immunomodulators, and CIT biomarkers. However, no significant association was found between RORC and CIT response in the three CIT cohorts. Conclusion Our findings revealed the potential immunotherapeutic value of RORC for various cancers and provides preliminary evidence for the application of RORC in CIT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengfu He
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jiawen Yu
- Department of Oncology, Anqing First People’s Hospital of Anhui Medical University/Anqing First People’s Hospital of Anhui Province, Anqing, China
| | - Weijie Sun
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yating Sun
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Mingyang Tang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Bao Meng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yanyan Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Institute of Bacterial Resistance, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Center for Surveillance of Bacterial Resistance, Hefei, China
- *Correspondence: Yanyan Liu, ; Jiabin Li,
| | - Jiabin Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Institute of Bacterial Resistance, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Center for Surveillance of Bacterial Resistance, Hefei, China
- *Correspondence: Yanyan Liu, ; Jiabin Li,
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9
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Wang J, Yang Y, Du B. Clinical Characterization and Prognostic Value of TPM4 and Its Correlation with Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition in Glioma. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12091120. [PMID: 36138856 PMCID: PMC9497136 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12091120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropomyosin 4 (TPM4) has been reported as an oncogenic gene across different malignancies. However, the role of TPM4 in glioma remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the clinical characterization and prognostic value of TPM4 in gliomas. Transcriptome expression and clinical information were collected from the CGGA and TCGA datasets, which included 998 glioma patients. ScRNA-seq data were obtained from CGGA. R software was utilized for statistical analyses. There was a positive correlation between TPM4 and WHO grades. IDH-wildtype and mesenchymal subtype gliomas were accompanied by TPM4 upregulation. GO and GSEA analysis suggested that TPM4 was profoundly associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Subsequent GSVA revealed a robust correlation between TPM4 and three signaling pathways of EMT (hypoxia, TGF-β, PI3K/AKT). Furthermore, TPM4 showed a synergistic effect with mesenchymal biomarkers, particularly with N-cadherin, Slug, Snail, TWIST1, and vimentin. ScRNA-seq analysis suggested that higher TPM4 was mainly attributed to tumor cells and macrophages and associated with tumor cell progression and macrophage polarization. Finally, high TPM4 was significantly associated with unfavorable outcomes. In conclusion, our findings indicate that TPM4 is significantly correlated with more malignant characteristics of gliomas, potentially through involvement in EMT. TPM4 could predict worse survival for patients with glioma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Wang
- Department of Emergency, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University), Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Ying Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, Futian Women and Children Health Institute, Shenzhen 518045, China
| | - Bo Du
- Department of Emergency, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University), Shenzhen 518020, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-159-1414-1979
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Machine Learning-Based Integration Develops a Pyroptosis-Related lncRNA Model to Enhance the Predicted Value of Low-Grade Glioma Patients. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:8164756. [PMID: 35646114 PMCID: PMC9135526 DOI: 10.1155/2022/8164756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Background Molecular features have been included in the categorization of gliomas because they may be excellent predictors of tumor prognosis. Lower-grade glioma (LGGs, which comprise grade 2 and grade 3 gliomas) patients have a wide variety of outcomes. The goal of this research is to investigate a pyroptosis-based long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) profile and see whether it can be used to predict LGG prognosis. Methods The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) and Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets were utilized to get RNA data and clinical information for this research. Six considerably related lncRNAs (AL355574.1, AL355974.2, Z97989.1, SNAI3-AS1, LINC02593, and CYTOR) were selected using Cox regression (univariate and multivariate) and LASSO Cox regression. A variety of statistical techniques, including ROC curves, nomogram, and Kaplan-Meier curves, were utilized to verify the risk score's accuracy. Following that, bioinformatics studies were carried out to investigate the possible molecular processes that influence LGG prognosis. The variations in pathway enrichment were investigated using GSEA. The immune microenvironment inconsistencies were investigated using CIBERSORT, ESTIMATE, MCPcounter, TIMER algorithms, and ssGSEA. Results We discovered six lncRNAs with distinct expression patterns that are linked to LGG prognosis. Kaplan-Meier studies showed a signature of high-risk lncRNAs associated with a poor prognosis for LGG. Furthermore, the AUC of the lncRNA signature was 0.763, indicating that they may be used to predict LGG prognosis. In predicting LGG prognosis, our risk assessment approach outperformed conventional clinicopathological characteristics. In the high-risk group of people, GSEA identified tumor-related pathways and immune-related pathways. Furthermore, T cell-related activities such as T cell coinhibition and costimulation, check point, APC coinhibition and costimulation, CCR, and inflammatory promoting were shown to be substantially different between the two groups in TCGA analysis. Immune checkpoints including PD-1, CTLA4, and PD-L1 were expressed differentially in the two groups as well. Conclusion This study found that pyroptosis-based lncRNAs were useful in predicting LGG patients' survival, suggesting that they may be used as a therapeutic target in the future.
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Zhang Y, Zhang C, Yang Y, Wang G, Wang Z, Liu J, Zhang L, Yu Y. Pyroptosis-Related Gene Signature Predicts Prognosis and Indicates Immune Microenvironment Infiltration in Glioma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:862493. [PMID: 35547808 PMCID: PMC9081442 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.862493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: Gliomas are the most common primary tumors in the central nervous system with a bad prognosis. Pyroptosis, an inflammatory form of regulated cell death, plays a vital role in the progression and occurrence of tumors. However, the value of pyroptosis related genes (PRGs) in glioma remains poorly understood. This study aims to construct a PRGs signature risk model and explore the correlation with clinical characteristics, prognosis, tumor microenviroment (TME), and immune checkpoints. Methods: RNA sequencing profiles and the relevant clinical data were obtained from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA), the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the Repository of Molecular Brain Neoplasia Data (REMBRANDT), and the Genotype-Tissue Expression Project (GTEx-Brain). Then, the differentially expressed pyroptosis related genes (PRGs) were identified, and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and mutiCox regression model was generated using the TCGA-train dataset. Then the expression of mRNA and protein levels of PRGs signature was detected through qPCR and human protein atlas (HPA). Further, the predictive ability of the PRGs-signature, prognostic analysis, and stratification analysis were utilized and validated using TCGA-test, CGGA, and REMBRANDT datasets. Subsequently, we constructed the nomogram by combining the PRGs signature and other key clinical features. Moreover, we used gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), GO, KEGG, the tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) single-sample GSEA (ssGSEA), and Immunophenoscore (IPS) to determine the relationship between PRGs and TME, immune infiltration, and predict the response of immune therapy in glioma. Results: A four-gene PRGs signature (CASP4, CASP9, GSDMC, IL1A) was identified and stratified patients into low- or high-risk group. Survival analysis, ROC curves, and stratified analysis revealed worse outcomes in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group. Correlation analysis showed that the risk score was correlated with poor disease features. Furthermore, GSEA and immune infiltrating and IPS analysis showed that the PRGs signature could potentially predict the TME, immune infiltration, and immune response in glioma. Conclusion: The newly identified four-gene PRGs signature is effective in diagnosis and could robustly predict the prognosis of glioma, and its impact on the TME and immune cell infiltrations may provide further guidance for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulian Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Chuanpeng Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University China-Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yanbo Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Guohui Wang
- Department of Radiotherapy, Tianjin First Center Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Zai Wang
- Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jiang Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University China-Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yanbing Yu
- Department of Neurosurgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University China-Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Yanbing Yu,
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12
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Wei C, Wang B, Peng D, Zhang X, Li Z, Luo L, He Y, Liang H, Du X, Li S, Zhang S, Zhang Z, Han L, Zhang J. Pan-Cancer Analysis Shows That ALKBH5 Is a Potential Prognostic and Immunotherapeutic Biomarker for Multiple Cancer Types Including Gliomas. Front Immunol 2022; 13:849592. [PMID: 35444654 PMCID: PMC9013910 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.849592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background AlkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5) is a N6-methyladenosine (m6A) demethylase associated with the development, growth, and progression of multiple cancer types. However, the biological role of ALKBH5 has not been investigated in pan-cancer datasets. Therefore, in this study, comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of pan-cancer datasets was performed to determine the mechanisms through which ALKBH5 regulates tumorigenesis. Methods Online websites and databases such as NCBI, UCSC, CCLE, HPA, TIMER2, GEPIA2, cBioPortal, UALCAN, STRING, SangerBox, ImmuCellAl, xCell, and GenePattern were used to extract data of ALKBH5 in multiple cancers. The pan-cancer patient datasets were analyzed to determine the relationship between ALKBH5 expression, genetic alterations, methylation status, and tumor immunity. Targetscan, miRWalk, miRDB, miRabel, LncBase databases and Cytoscape tool were used to identify microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that regulate expression of ALKBH5 and construct the lncRNA-miRNA-ALKBH5 network. In vitro CCK-8, wound healing, Transwell and M2 macrophage infiltration assays as well as in vivo xenograft animal experiments were performed to determine the biological functions of ALKBH5 in glioma cells. Results The pan-cancer analysis showed that ALKBH5 was upregulated in several solid tumors. ALKBH5 expression significantly correlated with the prognosis of cancer patients. Genetic alterations including duplications and deep mutations of the ALKBH5 gene were identified in several cancer types. Alterations in the ALKBH5 gene correlated with tumor prognosis. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses showed that ALKBH5-related genes were enriched in the inflammatory, metabolic, and immune signaling pathways in glioma. ALKBH5 expression correlated with the expression of immune checkpoint (ICP) genes, and influenced sensitivity to immunotherapy. We constructed a lncRNA-miRNA network that regulates ALKBH5 expression in tumor development and progression. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that ALKBH5 promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma cells and recruited the M2 macrophage to glioma cells. Conclusions ALKBH5 was overexpressed in multiple cancer types and promoted the development and progression of cancers through several mechanisms including regulation of the tumor-infiltration of immune cells. Our study shows that ALKBH5 is a promising prognostic and immunotherapeutic biomarker in some malignant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Wei
- Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-Neuroinjury Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education and Tianjin City, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-Neuroinjury Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education and Tianjin City, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Dazhao Peng
- Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-Neuroinjury Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education and Tianjin City, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoyang Zhang
- Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-Neuroinjury Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education and Tianjin City, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Zesheng Li
- Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-Neuroinjury Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education and Tianjin City, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Lin Luo
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yingjie He
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Hao Liang
- Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-Neuroinjury Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education and Tianjin City, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuezhi Du
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shenghui Li
- Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-Neuroinjury Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education and Tianjin City, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Shu Zhang
- Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-Neuroinjury Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education and Tianjin City, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhenyu Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lei Han
- Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-Neuroinjury Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education and Tianjin City, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jianning Zhang
- Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-Neuroinjury Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education and Tianjin City, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
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Zhao M, Li X, Chen Y, Wang S. MD2 Is a Potential Biomarker Associated with Immune Cell Infiltration in Gliomas. Front Oncol 2022; 12:854598. [PMID: 35372062 PMCID: PMC8968038 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.854598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Glioma is the most common primary malignant tumor in the central nervous system. Myeloid differentiation protein 2 (MD2) acts as a coreceptor of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) to mediate innate immune response. However, the actual roles of MD2 in the regulation of progression and immune cell infiltration in gliomas remain largely unclear. This study aims to explore whether MD2 could be an independent prognostic factor through the mediation of immune cell infiltration in gliomas. Methods The mRNA expression and DNA methylation differential analyses of MD2 were performed using CGGA, TCGA and Rembrandt databases and survival analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier plotter. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression was applied to analyze the prognostic value of MD2 and nomograms were constructed to evaluate the clinical value of MD2. Then, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were utilized to analyze MD2-related signal pathways. Furthermore, correlations between MD2 and immune cell infiltration were calculated by TIMER and CIBERSOPT. The correlation between MD2 expression and the infiltrations of macrophages and neutrophils was experimentally verified by the knockdown of MD2 expression using small interfering RNA (siRNA) in glioma cells. Results We found that MD2 was overexpressed and associated with a poor prognosis in gliomas. Meanwhile, higher expression of MD2 could be a result of lower DNA methylation of MD2 gene in gliomas. In addition, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that MD2 could be an independent prognostic factor for gliomas. Further functional enrichment analysis revealed that the functions of MD2 were closely related to immune responses. Moreover, the expression level of MD2 was strongly correlated with the infiltration and polarization of pro-tumor phenotype of tumor-associated macrophages and tumor-associated neutrophils in gliomas. Conclusions These findings have provided strong evidence that MD2 could be served as a valuable immune-related biomarker to diagnose and predict the progression of gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yijun Chen
- *Correspondence: Shuzhen Wang, ; Yijun Chen,
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