A novel immune checkpoint-related gene signature for hepatocellular carcinoma to predict clinical outcomes and therapeutic response

Abstract

<abstract> <p>Immune checkpoint genes (ICGs) have recently been proven to perform instrumental functions in the maintenance of immune homeostasis and represent a promising therapeutic strategy; however, their expression patterns and prognostic values are not fully elucidated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this investigation, we focused on establishing and validating a prognostic gene signature to facilitate decision-making in clinical practice. Clinical information, as well as transcriptome data, was obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) database. Univariate Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox method were employed to build a multi-gene signature in the TCGA database, while the ICGC database was used for validation. Subsequently, utilizing the six-gene signature, we were able to categorize patients into high- and low-risk groups. In two cohorts, survival analysis findings revealed a dismal outlook for the high-risk group. The receiver operating characteristic curves were utilized to estimate the gene signature's prediction ability. Moreover, correlation analysis showed high-risk group was linked to advanced pathological stage, infiltration of immune cells and therapeutic response. In summary, this unique gene profile might serve not only as a useful prognostic indicator but also as a marker of therapy responsiveness in HCC.</p> </abstract>

An integrative analysis reveals the prognostic value and potential functions of MTMR2 in hepatocellular carcinoma

“…In this study, we found that patients with high MTMR2 expression had higher stromal scores and tumor purity scores. Tumor stromal cell infiltration is an important factor promoting the progression of HCC 29 , 30 . Further immune infiltration analysis showed that MTMR2 is significantly correlated with the infiltration levels of CD4+ memory resting T cells and activated dendritic cells, and is positively correlated with immune checkpoint markers CD276, LGALS9, TNFSF15, VTCN1, and HAVCR2 ( p < 0.05).…”