A ceRNA-associated risk model predicts the poor prognosis for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients

Abstract

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most malignant cancers with poor prognosis worldwide. Emerging evidence indicates that competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) are involved in various diseases, however, the regulatory mechanisms of ceRNAs underlying HNSCC remain unclear. In this study, we retrieved differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (DElncRNAs), messenger RNAs (DEmRNAs) and microRANs (DEmiRNAs) from The Cancer Genome Atlas database and constructed a ceRNA-based risk model in HNSCC by integrated bioinformatics approaches. Functional enrichment analyses showed that DEmRNAs might be involved in extracellular matrix related biological processes, and protein–protein interaction network further selected out prognostic genes, including MYL1 and ACTN2. Importantly, co-expressed RNAs identified by weighted co-expression gene network analysis constructed the ceRNA networks. Moreover, AC114730.3, AC136375.3, LAT and RYR3 were highly correlated to overall survival of HNSCC by Kaplan–Meier method and univariate Cox regression analysis, which were subsequently implemented multivariate Cox regression analysis to build the risk model. Our study provides a deeper understanding of ceRNAs on the regulatory mechanisms, which will facilitate the expansion of the roles on the ceRNAs in the tumorigenesis, development and treatment of HNSCC.

Salivary Metabolomics for Prognosis of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

“…Generally, 3methylhistidine is considered a marker of muscle proteolysis; moreover, increased 3-methylhistidine levels could be biomarkers of frailty and sarcopenia (27,28). General statuses, including Karnofsky performance status, sarcopenia status, and frailty status, are well-known prognostic factors for OS in head and neck 9,33,34). As we mentioned above, our candidate salivary biomarkers, such as 3-methylhistidine, could be derived from the non-cancerous tissue.…”

“…Recent studies have demonstrated that molecular biomarkers can predict OSCC given the development of analytical methods. Specifically, there has been remarkable development in the application of sequencing technology; moreover, there are numerous ribonucleic acid biomarkers for predicting the prognosis of OSCC (9)(10)(11). Additionally, the metabolomic approach to cancer-specific biomarkers is promising.…”

“…Accordingly, molecular biomarkers provide a more objective criterion for prognostic prediction. There is a need for novel strategies to facilitate biomarker-guided treatment selection based on individual tumor differences ( 2 , 9 ). Recent studies have demonstrated that molecular biomarkers can predict OSCC given the development of analytical methods.…”

The Role of Arginine Metabolism in Oral Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma

“…Presumably, LAT expression facilitates antigen recognition, which would translate to an enhanced immune response. A recent study suggested that overexpression of LAT in head and neck cancer was associated with a good prognosis based on an in silico investigation using gene expression data from the TCGA [ 24 ]. However, this trend was the opposite in another study, where overexpression of LAT was associated with poorer overall survival among patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma [ 25 ].…”

“…However, this trend was the opposite in another study, where overexpression of LAT was associated with poorer overall survival among patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma [ 25 ]. Regardless, immunohistochemical validation of protein expression failed to convincingly support gene expression data and suggests that LAT protein expression is typically absent or low in most tumor tissues [ 24 , 26 ]. In aggregate, these findings suggest that LAT overexpression may be a common phenomenon whereby most cells are equipped with the machinery to facilitate T-cell receptor signaling.…”