Identification of key biomarkers associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma prognosis and immune response

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) ranks as the sixth most prevalent malignancy globally, presenting a significant threat to both physical and mental health due to its elevated incidence and metastasis rate. Advancements in understanding and treating OSCC have stagnated over the past three decades. Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), a chronic inflammatory oral condition, manifests with pale lesions and limited mouth opening. Notably, the onset of OSCC is often observed against the backdrop of OSF, particularly linked to areca nut consumption. The molecular mechanisms underlying this association, however, remain elusive. This study aims to elucidate the shared genetic markers between OSF and OSCC, intending to enhance early tumor diagnosis. Methods We retrieved GEO, DAVID, STRING, GEPIA, UALCAN database and visualized them using tools such as GEO2R, Cytoscape, and R packages. We conducted a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis to investigate the associations between prognosis-related hub genes, their prognostic roles, and immune cell infiltration. Results 161 DEGs were retrieved and a PPI network was constructed and imported into Cytoscape for visualization. We identified nine critical genes: CDK1, DLGAP5, KIF20A, HMMR, NDC80, CDCA3, CENPE, CCNB2, CKAP2. Notably, two of these hub genes, CDK1 and HMMR displayed significantly elevated expression in both OSCC and OSF samples. Conclusion In conclusion, nine hub genes were screened out as potential oncogenes of OSCC patients that could help us early detection, early diagnosis, early prevention. CDK1 and HMMR were key biomarkers associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma prognosis and immune response.